


Daycare Daddy

by alexspacesout



Category: Attack on Titan, Shingeki no Kyojin
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Animals, Beauty - Freeform, Butterfly, Childcare, Children, Confession, Cute, Daycare, Equality, Family, Fluff, Interactive, Kisses, Kissing, Koharu Sugawara, Love, M/M, Zoo, child!Petra, dance, dance au, domestic!levi, ereri, ereri fluff, love sweet love, mini dance AU, multi-chapter, no gender rules, petra - Freeform, puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-04-12 08:35:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 44,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4472549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexspacesout/pseuds/alexspacesout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is a single dad who works as Vice President at Trost Corps with no time to take care of his daughter. Every daycare he goes to doesn't quite meet his standards...that is until he sees Jaeger's ChildCare Center.<br/>Cute fluff and domestic babbling ensues.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Daddy? (Plot Overview)

**Author's Note:**

> I thought this up while watching a youtube video XD The thing with Petra was a partial reincarnation AU, after Petra died Levi felt responsible and in the next life he finally got to protect her properly. Hope you enjoy spectrumpossibilities! (First chapter still dedicated to spectrumpossibilities, the rest is dedicated to all of you Ereri shippers!)
> 
> This is an interactive fanfic, I will be reading all comments and such and I'm open to ideas and suggestions. This fanfic is for you guys! Of course, I do have a bit of a plot of my own, but I can add more fluff here or there if that's what you want ;D
> 
> Anyways, interact with me, let's make this a fun project!!

   Levi buckles Petra into her booster seat and places a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose before shutting the door and walking around to the driver's side. He pauses before getting into the car to glare at the sign for the building, "Sunshine DayCare." Making sure that Petra couldn't see, Levi flips the woman off standing in the window before climbing into the car. Levi doesn't waste time to see her reaction before driving off.

   That had been the sixth daycare that Petra had gone to in under two weeks. They had recently moved into the area when Levi heard of his promotion to Vice President in Trost Corps Banking. At his old job, he was a simple accountant at a small branch in a small town a few hours away. His pay barely supported the two of them, they had been living in a rundown apartment complex eating pb&j and ramen noodles nearly every day. The promotion was the best news that Levi had gotten in over five years. The last good news was that the divorce papers had successfully gotten through and Petra was all his. 

   Petra quietly hums to herself in the backseat while playing with her doll. For some odd reason, Petra seemed to have an infatuation with "Titan Dolls", traditionally designed for young boys to play with. However, Levi was against the gender roles and allowed her to get it when she originally pointed it out in the store. Levi sits stoically in the front seat, taking the fastest route to the bank. Levi had to leave in the middle of the day after getting a phone call that Petra had been playing "rough with the boys." 

    However, when Levi got there, Petra was simply sitting in the corner, racing cars with two other boys. They appeared to be minding their own business and weren't bothering anybody else. When Levi approached the owner of the daycare, she claimed that Petra had "pushed 'Jimmy' to get the car." 

    When Levi spoke to Petra about it, she said that she did no such thing. Levi knew she was telling the truth, being that he had taught her from the start to always tell the truth. Levi simply stormed out of there, gripping Petra's little hand tight in his. 

    Levi turned right on the street corner and started down the road but abruptly took another right when he saw another sign for a daycare, "Jaeger's ChildCare Center." At this point, Levi was desperate to find a place for Petra to be. He didn't want her to see all the "scary" things that he did at work when he got pissed- which was often.

    As soon as he gets Petra unbuckled, he speedwalks to the door and throws it open, practically storming inside. A  _very_ important meeting was supposed to start very soon and if he missed it, it could ruin his career. Levi quickly spots the counter and rushes over to it, leaving Petra to play with the kids.

     "Hi, yes, can I sign Petra up? I just need it for the rest of the day, I'll talk more when I come back later. I just really have to go now..." The blonde man behind the counter looks up and smiles wide.

    "Of course, name?" He looks back at the computer, readying to type.

     Not five minutes later, Levi is already out the doors and headed towards his car after giving Petra a kiss in her hand. The "kissing hand" as it is known, so she wouldn't feel scared and would always have her daddy's kiss with her.

* * *

      Levi climbs out of his car with a sigh. The meeting had been long and boring and all in all, pointless. But finally, he got to see his daughter. As he opened the door, he noticed that not many children were left, many had already gone home. Levi looked around for a bit,  trying to see where Petra was before spotting her in the corner with a man. His back was to Levi so he couldn't tell what he looked like.

       Levi swiftly walked over in their direction, careful to avoid the toys strewn all over the floor. By the time that Levi had gotten to Petra, she had already spotted him coming and was waiting with open arms. Levi bent down and picked her up, swinging her around before gripping her in a tight hug. Meanwhile, the man watched on silently, smiling wide.

      After giving Petra a peck on the cheek, Levi set her down on the ground and watched her run back to the man she had been playing with. "Daddy, this is Ewren!" Petra proudly presented the man to him, arms outstretched.

      Levi smiled and moved his eyes from Petra to the man and froze in place once he met his eyes.  _Holy hell, those eyes are green..!_ Levi cleared his throat before holding out his hand to the man to introduce himself. "Hello, I'm Petra's dad, Levi."

      The man firmly grasped his hand and shook it once. "Hi! Nice to meet you, I'm Eren. Petra has had a  _great_ time today, isn't that right?" He turned to look at Petra who nodded her head furiously in response.

     Levi looked tenderly at Petra. "Honey, why don't you go get your stuff together so we can go home." Petra smiled in response and began to gather her few belongings, including her Titan Doll and a macaroni face she made earlier that day. Levi turned to Eren and pulled him aside.

    "How was she? Were there any problems? What about-" Levi's voice was filled with a fatherly worry, but Eren's smooth voice cut him off before he got too anxious.

     "Everything was fine, Petra played with the other kids just fine. We made a few crafts, too. The whole time she was talking about how awesome her dad was and how she wanted to make a card for him. You should be proud to have a daughter like that, so polite!" Eren looks over at Petra with adoration. 

      Before Levi could ask anymore questions, Petra came back and grabbed Levi's hand. "Let's go! Bye bye Ewren!" Petra waved at Eren with her Titan Doll in her hand and Eren waved back.

      Levi smirked (in other words, the closest he gets to a smile) and started towards the door. He makes a quick stop at the counter to speak to Armin before leaving.

     "Would you mind putting her on the list for tomorrow? I'd like to give this place another shot." Armin smiled wide and nodded as he completed Levi's request. 

      "See you tomorrow, sir." Levi simply nodded and glanced towards Eren, who was currently cleaning up the toys and putting them back where they belong. He couldn't wait to drop off Petra again tomorrow, maybe he would be able to squeeze in a quick conversation before work.

* * *

      It had been five months since Levi started taking Petra to Jaeger's ChildCare Center and it's the longest that Petra had ever stayed at one place. She had grown very comfortable and fit in perfectly, making new friends easily. Levi had slowly gotten to know everybody who worked there: Armin, Eren, Sasha, Marco, Jean, and Connie. Marco was certainly the nicest one, yet Levi somehow liked Eren the best. Every morning, Levi came in extra early just to be able to talk to Eren for a bit before heading to work. It was a nice way to start off the day and often put Levi in a good mood.

     Today, however, he was a bit nervous about his daily conversation with Eren. He was finally ready to make a move and he didn't want to mess it up. He took a deep breath before stepping through the doors, holding Petra's hand. Eren looked up as soon as he heard the bell tinkle with the door opening and made his way over to us. There were few children at such an early hour so Eren had no problem leaving his position to say hello.

    "Hey Petra! How are you doing today?" Eren crouched down to Petra's level and smiled wide.

    "Fabuwous!" Petra replied, gripping her Titan Doll tight to her chest.

    "Carter is over with the blocks." Eren already knew just who she wanted to see. Petra grinned and galloped over to Carter to sit down and build a tower with him. The two had gradually been closer since Petra's first day there.

    As soon as Eren was standing tall again, Levi dragged him over in the opposite corner of the children to talk. Normally they would just chat near the door, however, this time the matter seemed rather personal for that.

    "Why are we over here?" Eren cocked his hips and crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing Levi curiously. Levi bit his lip in silence, trying to decide the best way to go.

      Being that Levi is a straight-forward kind of guy, he decides to go with his first option. He lookes up at Eren and makes direct eye contact before grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him forward to put their lips together. It was short and to the point but made both incredibly flustered all the same. 

      "I HAVE TWO DADDYS!!" Suddenly Petra's shriek broke their private kiss and sent Eren stumbling backwards. Levi's eyes widened as he turned his head to look at Petra standing with her doll hanging out of her hand, Carter slightly behind her. He quickly kneeled down and grabbed Petra's shoulder, attempting to make her understand.

     "No, Petra, you see-" Levi was struggling to figure out something that wouldn't hurt Petra but would get her to understand the situation they were now in.

     "Daddy, it's okay! I like Ewren!" Petra's eyes gleamed with excitement as she looked up at Eren standing back in the corner, blush still covering his cheeks. He gave a sheepish smile and shrugged at Levi. He glances at Petra, then Eren, then back at Petra again before sighing and standing up.

     "Eren, explain." Levi grabs Eren by the elbow and shove him towards Petra, unable to properly communicate with such a young child about something as complicated as this. Eren stumbles slightly and glares at Levi.

      "You know, it's not actually that bad, you know." This time it was Levi's turn to blush. It looks like his move had worked after all. 

     "YAY!! A FULL FAMIWYY!!" Petra jumped up and down and clapped her hands as Eren and Levi stared at each other. Something seemed to click in that moment; maybe they would work, after all.

 

 


	2. Promotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the first update! This chapter is mainly about Levi and his life before being promoted, that way you can get to know him more personally and see where he is coming from. Enjoy! :D

     "Daddy! Look what I made!!" Petra clapped her hands excitedly before pointing to her masterpiece: a small, white paper plate with noodles glued randomly around the rim and a pool of glitter in the center. I laugh quietly and admire the look of pure satisfaction that had settled on Petra's face, she was so satisfied with her work that she didn't even need my approval. None the less, I still find it my duty to praise her when she truly deserves it.

   

     "Wow! It's beautiful, good job! What's this?" I point to the pool of multi-colored glitter in the center and look to Petra for her answer.

 

     "It's a swimming pool fowr all the little people." Petra points to the noodles resting around the rim and begins to list off their names one by one. "There's Tommy, and Janelle, and Patwrick, and Lawwy, and Mawrissa, and Chloe, and Jonathan..." Petra's voice faded into the background as I soon realized that she was listing all of the names of her old friends. I thought that she had moved on from them, being that our last move was over six months ago. Yet, here I was, proven wrong.

   

      "Petra," I politely interrupt her about halfway through the list. "I get the idea, honey." I reach over the table and lightly ruffle her hair affectionately, drawing a giggle out of her.

  

       "What did you make, Daddy?" Petra moves up onto her knees to see better and leans over to look at my plate of noodles and glitter curiously. 

 

       "I made you." I boop her on the nose and send her into another fit of giggles.

 

       "Weally, Daddy?" Petra latches onto my arm and casts her large, golden green eyes up to meet my dull grey ones.

  

       "Mhmm, lookie here." I move Petra's attention back to the plate on the table with a gesture of my hand. "Here's your hair..." I trace the line of noodles going down and around the sides, stopping about two thirds of the way to the bottom. "And here's your mouth..." I relocate my hand to follow the gentle curve of the noodle smile glued onto the plate. "This is your nose...." I move my hand up slightly to point to a small ring of noodles in the center. "And these are your eyes." I slide my hand back into my lap and watch as Petra stands up on my knees to get a better view. I re-created her eyes with two circles of noodles and a gentle dusting of glitter in the center to capture the beautiful shine her eyes got when something sparked her interest.

 

        A gentle gasp from Petra pulls me from my daze as I turn to see her reach out her hand to gingerly touch the eyes on the paper plate. "Wow, Daddy, is that weally what my eyes look like?" She turns back to look at me, one hand supporting her weight on the table, the other still reached out towards the art project. 

      

       "Yup." I smile tenderly as Petra places her hand on her cheek, looking back to admire the portrait of noodles and glitter with her mouth slightly agape. 

 

      "Wow..." Petra gently sighs as she slides down to sit on the end of my knee, both elbows resting on the table with her chin laid atop her hands. "I have glitter eyes." 

 

      I cover my mouth and snicker softly to myself, adoring her adoration over the goofy noodle and glitter portrait I had made of her. Subconsciously, my hand reaches up to her head to run my fingers through her silky, fiery locks. I sense Petra relaxing slowly as I continue to stroke her hair in silence. Not long after I had begun to soothe Petra with my gentle touches, she falls asleep, still leaning forward on the table.

 

       I take extra care moving Petra into my arms, allowing her to continue her nap. I quietly nudge the chair back and stand up with Petra leaning against my shoulder, her small hands tangled in my long, dark hair. I weave my way through the few toys scattered around the floor, headed towards her small race-car bed. 

 

      Once there, I cup the back of her head with my hand and her lower back with my other, ensuring a smooth flight and soft landing into her sheets. I kneel next to her bed and wait for her to adjust accordingly before pulling the sheets up to cover her. I tuck the ends underneath the mattress and fold the top down to allow her breathing room. As an afterthought, I bend down to place a kiss on her forehead before moving away to complete chores that were supposed to have already been done.

 

      A gentle knock on the door stops me mid-reach for the laundry basket and I huff softly in frustration.  _It better not be girl scout cookies again. I swear, if they show up one more time I'll-_ " I pull the door open and stop mid-sentence when I see that it isn't a tiny girl scout; it's instead quite the opposite. It felt as though Captain America was standing on my doorstep with a briefcase in hand. _  
_

 

      "Can I help you?" I make sure the door opens no further than halfway, there's no reason for an absolute stranger to see inside of my house; or at least more than what's necessary. 

 

       An aura of confidence seemed to radiate off of this Captain America-like figure, as if he already knew how intimidating he could appear. His extra bulky eyebrows added to the appearance, almost reminding me of two fuzzy caterpillars that had rested on his face.  _I wonder if he uses bait to keep them there..._ "Are you Levi Ackerman?"

     

       "Yes, now how can I help you?" I was getting rather annoyed at the authority this person seemed to think he had. This is my house on my property, there is no need for him to come inside unless he magically presents a good reason within the next thirty seconds.

 

       "Mr. Pixis has a message for you concerning a promotion." The smug smile that appeared upon the man's face nearly caused me to slam the door on him, yet I knew that a promotion was something that I could not afford to close the door on. Suppressing an annoyed sigh, I step aside and point him towards the kitchen table. With a polite nod, he steps past me and meanders to the kitchen; stopping to admire the pictures hung up on the walls. "Is this your child?" The man gestures to a particular picture on the wall, depicting a day at the beach from a few years ago. It was one of the few pictures that I had smiled in and very few people had the opportunity to see it. It only angered me further that this  _complete stranger_ was now looking in on my personal life.

    

       "The kitchen." I pointed to the left through the hallway to the table where our craft projects still laid out in the open, drying slowly. The man raised an eyebrow curiously at the harsh bite my words contained but nonetheless followed. I make sure to step in front of him before he can have a seat so I can push the craft projects to the side. I may be a proud father of Petra, but it doesn't mean I'm proud of the childish crafts I partake in to please her.

 

        "Would you like something to drink?" I blandly ask, purely out of politeness. Of course, coming out of my mouth, it probably sounded more like a threat.

 

       The man seemed to sense that I wouldn't follow through with any request he made and settled on remaining silent. I gesture to the seat to my right as I lower myself into my own chair. Not wanting to waste any time, I immediately get to the point. "Promotion?" 

 

       Instead of answering my question, he sticks out his hand to shake and I quickly shake it in my own, eager to get past introductions. "Hello, I'm Erwin Smith from Trost Corps Banking. Mr. Pixis sent me here under special circumstances, being that he is holed up in the hospital with his-"

 

       "Yes, yes, now what about the promotion?"

 

       Mr. Smith swings his briefcase up and onto the table with ease, setting it down with a gentle  _thunk._ "Mr. Pixis noticed how hard you work, despite all of the difficulties that each patron has brought with them. As a reward, he would like to treat you with a promotion."

 

       "To where?" I was anticipating something small, potentially a bump up to head accountant instead of remaining in the background among the other nobodys.

 

       "How does Vice President of Trost Corps Banking sound?"

    


	3. Do I Go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is left with a difficult decision to make: does he uproot his life to move to a better job or stay somewhere familiar?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the rather late update, I had to help my grandparents move. The chapter isn't too long either but I didn't want to drag it on until I was practically repeating myself or speaking mumbo-jumbo. Hope you enjoy!

       Mr. Smith was long gone, along with the paperwork certifying that I accepted the job and would move to the city within the next two weeks. Everything seemed to moving so quickly that I had to stop for a while to process it all. I had been struggling to support the two of us on the small weekly paycheck that I received from the bank. We only had  _just_ enough every week, leaving about $20 in pocket. The last time that I had been able to buy Petra a new toy was over five months ago.

 

      She had very carefully picked out a stuffed teddy bear with a green bow tied around his neck and a heart on his paw. For whatever reason, Petra didn't want to let it go once she had picked it up in the toy store. The price tag wasn't too bad, so I bought it for her. Before we even got home, she already had the bear out of the bag. Every chance I got, I glanced back at her cuddling the bear closely; almost as though it would slip from her grasp if she didn't hold it against her with all her might. 

 

     I chuckle softly to myself at the memory, the pure happiness that had shone on her face was the most that I had gotten out of her in weeks. Every new daycare that she visited, her spirit sank just a little lower. Petra, however, tried her hardest to be happy and was quite the champ with the way she soldiered on to every new place. She wouldn't go anywhere without her bear after I got it for her and I couldn't care the slightest bit, just as long as she was happy.

 

     "D-daddy?" A sleepy Petra yawns quietly and pads over to my lap with the teddy bear clutched tightly in her right hand. She throws the teddy up onto my lap and throws her right leg up after it. With a bit of struggling, Petra finally manages to throw her weight up and into my waiting arms with a delighted squeal. "Hiya daddy." Petra grins up at me, rubbing the sleep out her eyes with her tiny fists. "Whatcha doin?" She tilts her head ever so slightly to the side and looks up at me through her long eyelashes.

 

    I set the mug of tea that I had been holding in my hand on the table and lean back comfortably in the chair. "We just had a visitor." I smile softly at the eager yet annoyed expression that passes across her face. Being that Petra is so young, she hasn't fully developed the capability to make accurate facial expressions; instead of being annoyed she ended up looking like she was pouting with her bottom lip sticking out and the corners of her mouth turned down in a frown.

 

    "Why didn't you tell me??" Petra makes an attempt at crossing her arms, but fails to figure out how her arms were supposed to intertwine to make it work. Instead, she settles with setting her hands on her hips and giving me her scariest glare (which, might I add, ended up being  _adorable_ ).

 

     "Daddy didn't want to wake you up, you had a long day." I try my hardest to sound fatherly but the faintest hint of a chuckle managed to slip through. Her pout was just too cute and innocent; I just hope that she stays that way. 

 

      "Well, who was it?" Petra's glare turned into a look of curiosity as she leaned forward, putting her hands on my legs to steady herself.

 

     "It was just a boring old business person, nothing to worry about." I wasn't quite ready to tell Petra about the promotion; despite having agreed, I still haven't come up with a way to successfully move to the city with the small budget that we are running on.

 

      "Awre you _suwre_?" Petra attempted to raise her eyebrow but quickly realized it wasn't working. Instead of giving up, she reaches up and uses her index fingers to push one up and hold the other one down. I had just taken a sip of my tea and nearly spit it out when I see Petra. As I begin to cough, Petra's expression turns to one of worry as she carefully stands up on the chair and pats my back gently. "Don't die Daddy!!" Petra's voice sounds genuinely worried as she continues to pat my back until my coughing dies down.

 

      "Don't worry, I won't ever leave you. And thank you for the help." I smile as warmly as I possibly can to ease Petra's worrying little head. Soon she sinks back down onto my knee and looks at me expectantly, curious as to what the business man had been here for.

 

      "So....?" Petra leans slowly forward as she drags out the 'o', looking to me for more of an explanation.

 

      "He just came to ask me a few questions about work, that's all. Why don't you go get a book and we can have story time, okay?" Petra nods eagerly and slips off of my knee and onto the floor with the teddy bear still in hand. She instantly takes off running towards the bedroom to grab one of the few books we have. Both her picture books and my novels are intermingled among each other, all of the other shelves taken up by memories frozen in time in picture frames.

 

      I take one final sip from my mug to finish it up and place it in the sink along with all of the other dishes thrown in there from the past week. Petra and I have a tradition of washing dishes together every Saturday night while singing songs from movies that we had watched the night before together on the couch. Despite not having the money to go out into the world and enjoy the sights, we still have fun watching movies and playing games together at home.

 

     I pause at the sink and stare out the window to watch a small bird hopping across a tree branch on the other side of the street. The feathers are decorated in all shades of whites and browns, but its eyes are a stunning green. As though it senses me staring at it, the bird turns to face my direction and stops hopping, challenging me to look away; but I don't. I continue to stare at it until it resumes its hopping as though nothing happened. I can't help but give a satisfied smirk at my meaningless victory.

 

     A gentle tugging on my pants pulls me back to the sink where I stand, arms on either side of it. The tugging persists and I look down to see that it's Petra with a book in hand. 

 

    "Got it Daddy!" She jumps up onto her toes and shoves it up towards me, waving it around until I grasp it and take it gently from her hands.

 

    "What do we have here...'The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar.'" I walk over to the small leather couch and lower myself down onto it. Petra follows me closely, leaping up onto the couch and settling down next to me. She gently lays her head on my arm and waits for me to start reading. Before I open the book, I lift my arm and pull Petra into a one-armed hug against my chest. She giggles softly and re-situates herself, nodding to me once she's comfortable enough.

 

    With that, I open up the worn and crackling cover to begin reading, my deep voice and Petra's quiet breathing the only sounds in the apartment.

 

* * *

 

 

     Petra had been sent to bed nearly an hour ago after her daily bedtime snack of an orange. When Petra had been born, her nights always seemed to be long and restless, resulting in minimal sleep for all in the house. When she turned two, I had given her an orange to nibble on just before her nap and boy did she sleep well. In fact, she slept all the way through the night to the next day. I have no idea how it worked, but I went with it until it eventually became routine.

 

     Being the only one awake in the house left me with the worst kind of freedom possible. It's the kind where you could do anything, say anything,  _think_ anything without worrying about others getting in the way; yet you have to remain silent enough to uphold your freedoms.

 

      Most nights I fall asleep almost instantly; taking care of a nearly four year old really drains a lot out of a person. However, tonight I had something to think about. I had already accepted the offer and I was beginning to regret it.

 

       _What if I screw up the job? How am I going to find a place to stay? Where will Petra go? What about this place, what's going to happen to the place we've called home for so many years? What the hell was I thinking?_   _  
_

      Every question had no answer that I could give and I was left with a raging storm of worries and doubts. I settle on staring at the ceiling fan above my bed, turning methodically slowly. Soon my breathing and heartbeat match the steady pace and my mind settles into a peaceful, numbed state. 

 

       My eyelids grow heavy and I fight to keep them open, desperate for a final conclusion before I drift off to sleep. Yet, sleep gets the better of me and I find myself sinking into my mattress; entering the realm of unconsciousness. Just before I cross the horizon, my heart suddenly freezes as a loud voice booms in my ears.

 

       _YOU MUST DO THIS, IT WILL ALL WORK OUT._ _  
_

With no energy left to argue or even realize how ridiculous the whole situation is, I simply agree and nod off to sleep. My limbs grow heavy and my eyes fall shut, blackness now fully swallowing me in a comforting quiet.

 

_It will all work out._

 


	4. Adjusting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't get a chance to proofread but I don't think there should be too many mistakes, I "accidentally" fell asleep and I had to rush a bit to finish this up. Enjoy! :D

     Eight days...it's been eight days since I've moved to the city. They seem to have flashed by in a blink of an eye. I had moved numbly through the motions, getting through each day with hardly a single thought of the past. I had always thought that looking forward and not backward was the best way to go. That way you don't get tangled in the tricky past that you may have had; all you have is a future to make your own. Yet I seem to find that sometimes the past can be better than the future.

 

* * *

 

 

      "Don't you worry your sorry behind, because I am  _not_ coming back!" I shout loudly over my shoulder as I drag Petra by the hand out the door and into the car. This was the fourth daycare that I've tried and none of them have had good results.

 

      The first daycare was run out of an old couple's house. It had seemed a little suspicious at first but I was desperate to find a place for Petra so I wouldn't be late for the first day of work; it was also quite cheap, only $5 an hour. However, when I returned later that afternoon, the house was turned upside down and only the wife could be found. Apparently a couple of the kids decided to have an uprising after receiving tuna rather than pb&j for lunch. The husband left immediately, incapable of holding back the biting and clawing children. The wife locked herself in the closet to escape the little beasts. With no one supervising them, the kids flipped the furniture and ransacked the fridge. Of course, Petra was not part of the rebellion; instead she sat with her teddy bear outside on the front porch along with another kid named Oluo. They seemed to have a rather strong bond, despite only having spent a few hours together. I felt a little guilty taking Petra away from her newly established friendship, but there was no way I was leaving her there.

 

      The second daycare was an actual establishment, immediately earning more trust than the last. I had dropped Petra off on the way to work, signing any necessary papers for the day. Petra immediately went to the wooden blocks, determined to build the tallest tower possible to show to me when I picked her up later. When I arrived to pick her up, the blocks were scattered around the floor and Petra was seated in the time-out chair in the corner, separate from all of the other kids. I approached one of the employees about it and was met with a biting tone. Apparently she had refused to 'share the blocks' with the children after being asked politely. Yet, when I asked Petra about it when driving home, she said that there was a mean bully who had knocked over her tower when she didn't let him touch her teddy. 

 

      The third daycare was an absolute  _trainwreck_. None of their certifications were legitimate, most likely bought from the black market. The owner had a crazed look and the whole place reeked of urine. I stepped in and stepped right back out, not even taking the time to give a greeting. I shuffled Petra back into the car and sped away as quickly as possibly. Thank goodness that it was a weekend, instead of hunting for more daycares we decided to go out for ice-cream. It was also the day that we had gotten lost and didn't return to our new apartment until nearly midnight.

 

      The fourth daycare wasn't too bad...that is until it was discovered that the owner had measles. Petra ended up needing to be in near-quarantine for 48 hours to ensure that she didn't have measles and that it wouldn't be spread. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being a life-long mental scar in her mind.

 

      Now I'm off to the fifth daycare, cue sarcastic ' _yipee_ '!

 

* * *

 

 

     "No...Hanji...yeah...no....of course not! What do you know? Yes, yes..." Petra sits beside me, kicking her feet and fiddling with her teddy bear while I talk to my closest, and only, friend over the phone.

 

    "Just- would you be quiet for a second?!" I run my hand through my hair while I wait for her mindless chatter to quiet down.

 

    "Thank you. I already tried that daycare and it was no good." I pause momentarily to pick Petra's teddy bear up off the ground and hand it back to her. "Do you think you could babysit Petra for a bit?"

 

    I'm forced to pull the phone away from my ear as I'm met with an ear-splitting screech. 

 

    "YES YES YEs yes yes YeS YeS YES y-"

 

    "HANJI." She instantly shuts up when she hears my commanding tone of voice. "It's just for tomorrow until I find the next daycare for her, okay?"

 

     It's almost another three minutes before I'm finally able to hang up with Hanji. I turn to Petra and smile softly as I watch her dance with her teddy on the floor, twirling it around and around. I watch her for a bit before finally speaking and putting a stop to her prancing.

 

     "Hey Petra, Auntie Hanji is coming to visit tomorrow, you get to spend the day with her." Petra's smile is nearly blinding as she throws herself into my arms.

 

     "YAY! Auntie Hanjiiiii!!" I laugh as I stand, swinging her up onto my hip into a firm hold. Petra giggles into my shoulder as I head to the kitchen for her snack.

 

     

* * *

 

 

      A knock sounds on the door and I set down my knife before swiftly going to answer it. As soon as I open the door a bundle of energy slams into me and sends me sprawling on the floor with a gentle laugh. Hanji stands tall, staring down at me with almost a maniacal look in her eyes.

 

     "Hiya Levi!!" Hanji bends down and reaches her hand out to help me up. I gratefully accept it and rise to my feet.

 

     "Hey Hanji, nice to see that you're on time." Hanji is well known for being fashionably late. However, when she does arrive she's the life of the party. Once Hanji is satisfied with my well-being, she sets about looking for Petra.

 

     "Oh Peeetraaaa..." Hanji tip-toes into the makeshift living room, peeking behind the curtain and under the table. Every visit with Hanji seems to start with a game of hide-and-seek, it's a welcome tradition that never seems to get old.

 

     "You'll never find meee..." Petra's voice sounds muffled but her words still come through loud and clear. I know exactly where she is, being that I had helped her hide as soon as I saw Hanji's car pull in. Hanji seems to know where she is too, making careful passes by Petra as though nothing looks suspicious.

 

     "Huh, I can't seem to find her anywhere. I guess I'll just take a seat here-" Hanji lowers herself onto the bundle of blankets at the corner of the couch. Just before her behind touches the couch, the pile of blankets suddenly explodes beneath her.

 

    "No no no no! Don't sit on me, I'm not the couch!!" Hanji leaps up in mock horror, placing one hand over her heart.

 

    "I could've sworn that you were a couch just a minute ago!" Her voice is heavily laced with fake horror and fascination, sending Petra into a fit of giggles.

 

    "You silly goose, I'm not a couch!!" Petra leaps into Hanji's open arms with a laugh. Hanji catches her smoothly and spins her in a circle before setting her on the ground. I watch silently from the door, leaning against the door frame casually.

 

     "Well, I should be going now, I don't want to be late." I murmur while checking my watch. Petra runs to me and throws her arms around my legs unexpectedly in a warm hug. I pat her head and giggle softly.

 

     "I love you daddy!" Petra turns her big eyes up to mine and smiles, already anticipating my response.

 

     "Love you too, honey. Have a good time with Auntie Hanji." As I say her name I look up to see her watching on with a comically large smile. She mouths an 'awww' and I stick my tongue out in response.

 

     "Come on Petra, let's go have something to eat." Hanji starts heading towards the kitchenette and Petra jumps right on her heels, giving me a small wave before disappearing behind the dull, white wall.

 

      I grab my briefcase and throw my coat over my arm before stepping out the door, making sure to lock it behind me.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what!! Next chapter you finally get to meet Eren and his daycare crew!! Let me know if you think it should be from Eren's point of view or Levi's, Eren's would entail more detail about the daycare itself and Petra's day with him. Thanks for reading!


	5. Jaeger's ChildCare Center Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry guys for this super late update. I planned on updating last Saturday and letting you know I would be on vacation and therefore there wouldn't be an update on Wednesday but the power went out before I was able to write anything AND the hotel's wifi didn't work because hundreds of people were using it and apparently AO3 takes a lot of wifi. (I know, sounds like ridiculous coincidence but I'm serious) Anyways, I'm REALLY sorry to leave you hanging, here's the next chapter!!

     "Hey Arm- _hic-_ in! Armin Armin Armin!!! Armiiiiinnnnn!!!"

     "Yes, Eren?"

     "WE SHOULD START A DAYCARE!" 

     "Yeah, okay Eren."

     "No no no, SERiousLY. How c- _hic-_ ool would that b- _hic-_ eee?!?! I mean, come on! We looooooove kids!!"

     "Let's talk about it tomorrow, Eren. Right now you really need some sleep."

     " _Hic-_ okay but think about it!"

 

* * *

 

 

     The next morning I awoke with a nasty hangover, nearly puking over the side of the bed. I don't even try to get to my feet, knowing that I would probably collapse on the floor and never get up again. I rub my bleary eyes and yawn, keeping my hands over them to keep the sunlight out.

 

      I lazily turn my head to the right and see a glass of water on the table with a handful of pills carefully placed next to it. I smile slightly to myself, knowing that it must have been Armin that put them there. With a grunt, I push myself up onto my elbows and lean over to grab the glass of water. It stays just out of my reach, even after rolling over onto my stomach. I wiggle my fingers desperately, convinced that if I try to use my telekinetic powers hard enough that it would magically float to me.

 

     After over a minute of struggling, I flop onto my back with a groan, rubbing my eyes again. My head throbs even worse than before with the effort I had made and I'm tempted to give up on life...well, for the rest of the day. Right before I can make a final decision, I hear the door creak open quietly and footsteps pad their way to the end of my bed.

 

     Leaving my hands over my eyes, I mumble out a question. "How drunk was I?" Instead of a direct answer, the footsteps come closer until they are standing to the right of me. I wait silently for an answer; receiving none I remove my hands from my face to see that Mikasa is standing in front of me with her arms on her hips and foot tapping angrily on the floor.

 

     "Uuuuugghhh..." I roll over onto my side and cover my head with a pillow. "Go away Mikasa, now's not the time." My voice comes out muffled, but I know she understands me perfectly. However, that doesn't mean she really listens to what I have to say.

 

     "I thought you swore off all alcohol since  _last time._ " Her voice sounds cold but I hint disappointment hidden in it. The last time that I had touched alcohol I nearly got into an accident and ended up getting a ticket for drunk driving. On top of all of that, I had  _the worst_ hangover that lasted nearly two days.

 

     "But I didn't drive!!....right?" I uncover my head and turn to look at Mikasa, who shakes her head at me as she takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

 

      "Eren, I can't look after you anymore, you're almost  _twenty two._ " Mikasa's tone softened slightly, but still held a bitter tone.

 

      "You don't have to, Armin does it for-"

 

      "That's not the point, Eren. You need to grow up and learn to control yourself. Why do you find this crazy urge to nearly drink yourself to death? It's not like you can blame it on peer pressure; you only go with Armin and he hardly even drinks!" Mikasa's volume slowly rose as she continued on, getting more and more frustrated with me.

 

      "Mikasa, I'm sor-"

 

      "Yes, I know you're sorry but that's  _not going to do anything!!_ " Mikasa suddenly rises from the bed and storms to the door, slamming it behind her. I flop back onto the bed and put my hands over my eyes once again, this time trying to drown out the world and all of the worries that it contains.

 

      A gentle knock on the door arises me from my thoughts before Armin peeks through the door.

 

     "Hey Eren." Armin's voice seems to be carefully soft, as though he was scared to tread on fragile ground.

 

     "Hey Armin, you can come in." I motion to the edge of my bed as I sit up against the headboard with a pillow in my lap. Armin smiles slightly as he gingerly lowers himself as far away from me as possible without being on the floor. I pretend not to notice and instead play with stray strands from my pillow case.

 

      "Do you remember anything?" Armin's large blue eyes look at mine questioningly.

 

      "No." I continue to stare at the pillow, not wanting to see the sorrow and guilt bound to be on his face.

 

      "Oh..."

 

      "Look, Armin, it wasn't your fault for me getting drunk last night. It's not your responsibility to watch over me. I'm sorry for dragging you into it in the first place, I know you don't like to drink."

 

      "It's okay, Eren, I-"

 

      "Let me finish. Whatever I might've said last night doesn't matter now, okay? Just forget any of it happened. And if you get the chance, tell Mikasa that I'm sorry. I doubt she'll listen to me any time soon."

 

       Armin had scooted closer to me gradually, so much so that he probably didn't even notice it. He sighs softly as he watches my hands continue to pick at the pillow case. The gears in his head are probably turning, trying to come up with the best possible response. Armin always seemed to be like that: calculating for perfection.

 

      "Actually, you did say something last night abo-"

  

      "Armin, I said not to-"

 

      "Let me finish." Armin puts his hand out to cut me off. "You said that you wanted to start a daycare. I noticed how much you've always liked children and they seemed to like you back. Now, I don't think we should jump into it, but it might actually be something do-able; at least in the future."

 

       A heavy silence hangs in the air as I ponder over what he just said.  _A daycare?_ I have always loved children; I guess they kind of liked me back. But I never thought about a  _daycare..._

 

      "I don't expect an answer anytime soon-"

 

      "Let's do it."

 

* * *

 

 

      "No no no, no way am I hiring  _horseface."_ I spit his name as though it's venom on my tongue. We had gone to high school together and we constantly got into fights, resulting in both of us getting detention. For some reason, I seemed to be the only one who knew what he really was- a horse.

 

      "But look at his qualifications! He went to Harvard and got the top of the class!" I scowl angrily. Jean had always been quite the over-achiever, just trying to show me up.  _Well, you succeeded, horseface._

 

"What about this guy?" I point to the upside-down picture of a nice looking young man with short black hair and freckles.

 

      "Oh, Marco?" Armin turns the picture to me so I can look at it right-side up. "He was in my psychology class, he's really nice. It says here that he got a doctorate in pediatrics...that sounds like it could definitely come in handy." Armin continues to flip through Marco's papers while I scan over the remaining pictures.

 

      "I say we hire him, he sounds great." I pile up the people that look like they wouldn't be good and toss them in the garbage. Five files remain on the table, including the one in Armin's hands.

 

      "I think we've done it, here's our staff." I push the files to Armin and he looks up at me with a raised eyebrow. 

 

      "How are you so sure? You haven't even looked through them!"

 

      "I just am." I leave the table to a snickering Armin, trusting him to understand my decision  

 

* * *

 

 

       "Wow....here it is. 'Jaeger's ChildCare Center'."

 

        "I still think it should have been 'Arlert's ChildCare Center'." 

 

       I laugh and gently shove Armin to the side. "Oh shut up."

 

      It's been almost ten months since the conception of the idea. Since the beginning the idea seemed to soar above any limits and expectations that we had made. We had been quickly cleared with Human Services and the grant we had applied for easily went through. The construction crew finished the interior of their storefront in under a week, leaving Armin and I to hire a designer to help with the inside. The final decision was to stick with simple colors: red, blue, yellow, and green- all lightened as to not be too overwhelming.The walls alternated between the colors with white shelves nailed on them for storage. 

 

     Then came the fun part- ordering toys. We had spent nearly a whole month making sure we got proper toys. First we started with the basics: blocks, coloring books and crayons, fingerpaint, the whole lot. Then we moved onto the stereotyped toys. We made sure to get a good mix of dolls and princess dresses along with dinosaurs and cars. There was no way that we would limit the toys that the children were allowed to play with.

 

     We spent a final day or two getting the bare necessities: diapers, baby wipes, stools, blankets, cribs, everything you would find in a typical daycare.

 

     Finally, a week later, we are ready to open to the public.

 

      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of my "facts" might not be right, but it's fiction so WHO CARES. I thought about continuing to include Levi and Petra's arrival but I think it deserves its own chapter (it will also be from Eren's POV) I hope this satisfies your need for now! Until Wednesday....MWAHAHAHA


	6. Petra's First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is super long (you're welcome), hope you enjoy!

      I flick the light switch on and instantly the room is flooded with light. The white shelves and wooden boxes along the walls are absolutely flooded with toys. The colorful wooden blocks are piled up in the back right corner near the big floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the fenced-in play area outside. In a separate room to the left of the check-in counter are the bathrooms; each one equipped with a changing table. I wander over to the small table against the left wall, across the carpet adorned with streets and houses for the cars to race across. I kneel down beside it, pushing one of the crayon boxes ever so slightly to the left until it's perfect.

 

      Armin is already behind the counter, turning the computer on and straightening up his desk. The sign hanging on the door still says 'closed', but it wouldn't be long before I could finally change it to 'open'. The only thing left is to wait for the rest of the employees to show up. Their orientation had been last week so we could prepare them ahead of time for what they would need to do while they work here. That way we could open up almost right away today and get people in as soon as possible; the more business the merrier.

 

     I head to the counter and lean over it to watch Armin push around a few things until everything is just the way he wants it. I rest my red and blue plaid covered forearms on the counter just as the small bell over the door sounds. I turn quickly to see Jean and Marco coming through the door together, Jean laughing at something that Marco presumably said. Jean has an open and steaming cup of coffee in his hand, Marco with a covered cup of cocoa in his. Each of them have a striped scarf wrapped tight around their neck to protect themselves from the cold. 

 

    I watch as Marco sets his cup down and shrugs his thick brown coat off of his shoulders. Jean catches it with his empty hand and hangs it up on the hook behind the door. Marco smiles sheepishly at him in thanks and unwraps his scarf from around his neck, hanging it on the same hook with his coat. Marco takes Jean's coffee from him and picks up his own cup to take a sip. Once Jean has his coat and scarf off, Marco gives him his coffee back and comes the rest of the way into the daycare with his coca cradled in his hands.

 

    "Wow, the place looks amazing!" Marco turns in a slow circle to take it all in slowly. The last time that he had been here, only the shelves and toy boxes had been moved in. The toys and furniture had been moved in the next day and arranged mostly by Armin. I, on the other hand, messed around with the stuffed animals the whole time. Armin kept telling me to help him out, in response I claimed that I was helping the stuffed animals become more settled in their new home. He smirked in disbelief but let me off the hook as he finished up arranging everything else.

 

   Jean walks up behind Marco and rests his hand on his shoulder as he sips from his coffee. As soon as the coffee touches his lips, however, he jumps back with a "manly" squeal.

 

   "Shit, it's hot!" Jean fans his mouth with his hand and Marco watches on laughing hysterically. I laugh loudly at Jean's misfortune, enjoying it while it lasts. Armin's quiet chuckle sounds from behind me as he looks up to see what all the noise was about. Jean looked quite ridiculous jumping around with his hand flapping wildly in attempt to soothe his burning mouth. 

 

    I look to the door as the bell tinkles again, announcing the arrival of Sasha and Connie. The door nearly hits the wall with the force that they used to open it.

 

    "Told you you had to push!" Connie shouts gleefully. Sasha waltzes in behind him with her arms crossed and a pout on her lips. He turns to look at her triumphantly and she sticks her tongue out at him. Connie throws a hand over his heart as though he got shot and falls back against the wall dramatically. Before he can hit the floor, however, Sasha grabs his hands and yanks him to his feet.

 

     "I win this one, buddy." Sasha winks and giggles while taking her gloves off. Connie rolls his eyes and removes his coat, hanging it on the hook next to Marco. Sasha sticks her gloves in her coat pocket before handing it to Connie to hang up.

 

     "So, who are we missing?" Sasha tucks her hands in her sweater pockets and rocks from heel to toe as she slowly lets the warmth of the building soak in.

 

      I quickly scan over everyone standing in the room before giving an answer. "Looks like that's everybody; all on time, too." I smile and look back at Armin to see him grinning at me. "You guys deserve a gold star!" I wink at Armin and he winks back, giggling quietly.

 

      "A GOLD STAR! I WANNA GOLD STAAAARRR!!!" Sasha screeches and jumps up and down in excitement as Armin reaches into the drawer below the desk.

 

      "Here...you...go!" I peel off a gold sticker and hand it to Sasha who takes it eagerly and slaps it on her shirt, right next to her name tag. 

 

      "Hey, I wanna a gold starr..." Connie pouts as he stares at the sheet of stickers in my hand. I move it back and forth in a teasing manner and watch as Connie's eyes follow it eagerly. With a chuckle I peel one off and hand it to him. I move onto Marco, peeling one off and slapping it on the back of his hand.

 

      "Oh, I didn't really need one but thanks!" Marco chuckles lightheartedly as he admires the shine of the sticker. I walk right past Jean and return the stickers to Armin. He gives me a frown and flicks his eyes to look at Jean before looking back at me. He hands me the stickers back and I take them with a groan. With great reluctance, I hand Jean a sticker and give the sheet back to Armin.

 

      I bound over to the door as soon as everyone is situated and flip the sign over. "And we are OPEN!"

 

* * *

 

 

      The first week didn't have too much business, maybe three kids a day. The second week was better but not by much, it increased to around five kids a day. But by the end of the month, we were a full-blown daycare with at least ten kids a day if not more. The employees became busier and busier as more kids needed diapers changed and growling tummies fed. Nap time came with enormous relief to everyone. Yet, when it ended, things became even more chaotic than before.

 

      Of course, it was then that a mysterious looking man decided to bring in his daughter for the rest of the day. As Connie, Sasha, Marco, Jean and I tended to the kids and tried to quiet them down and prevent anyone from getting hurt, Armin manned the desk taking phone calls and other business-y type stuff that there was no way I would be able to handle.

 

      He left just as quickly as he came, leaving his daughter with a small kiss in her hand. It reminds me of a fond memory I have of my mother: which I don't have too many of.

 

     My mother had been diagnosed with cancer when I was eight years old and was immediately admitted to the hospital. She was only expected to have at most three months to live, yet she exceeded their expectation by a whole five months. On her deathbed she admitted that Mikasa and I were the only things that kept her clinging to life. We knew that her time was coming very very soon but we tried to remain as calm as possible so her passing could be peaceful. Before she passed, she weakly grabbed both mine and Mikasa's hands tightly in her own and placed a gentle kiss to each palm. I can still recall her exact words:

 

     "This is the kissing hand, whenever you are missing me just open your hand and my kiss will be there to remind you that I love you with all of my heart and I am with you forever and always." I whisper them to myself as I open my hand and look at my palm, imagining the outline of a heart. I clench my fist quickly as I feel a gentle tug on my left pant leg. I look down to see the new little girl looking up at me with ginormous eyes.

 

      "Hi mithter, I'm new hewre!" She flashes me a bright grin and sticks out her hand in greeting. I kneel down to her level and shake her hand with a laugh.

 

     "Well, hiya! It's nice to have a new face around here. And what might your name be?"

 

      "Petwra!!" Her face absolutely glows with pride at having her hand shaken like a real adult.

 

     "Nice to meet you Petra! Would you like to color with us?" I point to the small table where three little children are already seated, scribbling away madly at their coloring books. If I can recall correctly, their names are Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie. Reiner and Bertolt are connected at the hip, going everywhere with each other despite being new friends. Annie seems to isolate herself from everyone else around her as though she's superior. Although, in some ways, she is. She is by the far the best 'colorer' here, constantly staying in the lines and coloring everything with precisely the right hue. When she uses the blocks, despite it being on rare occasions, she builds as though she had been doing it for years. Every single build had been a masterpiece of its own.

 

     "Yeah, I love colowring, my daddy says I'm really good at it!!!" She jumps up and down eagerly, eyeing the coloring book filled with race cars. I follow her gaze and grin, absolutely elated that she didn't seem to mind that it's traditionally for boys. Most kids come in here expecting to be limited with what they can play with and do without being bullied or judged. However, Petra's parents seemed to have raised her right in doing whatever pleases her.

 

     "Here, you can sit next to me." I usher to a chair next to Annie and sit to the right of Petra. I removed the chair so I could fit my legs underneath the table comfortably. I return to my Elmo drawing and watch out of the corner of my eye as Petra reaches for race car book. She nearly drops it but manages to drag it over in front of her. She flips through it carefully, wanting to make sure the drawing she picks it out is just the right one. She finally settles on a race car splashing through a puddle with the number '10' written on the side.

 

      I inwardly chuckle; I doubt that Petra knows this but 10 is the number of Danica Patrick, one of the few female race car drivers and the best known. It seems rather funny to me that she chooses a car with that specific number of all numbers to color in a "boy's" coloring book.

 

     She grabs for the crayons and takes a blue and purple crayon. I look back down at my own drawing to give her some space to do hers. It's not even ten minutes before she puts down her crayons.

 

     "All done!! You like it??" Petra holds up the drawing by the corners, careful to keep her fingers out of the way. I set my own crayon down and look at her drawing, in mild shock at both her talent and idea. Instead of coloring within the lines of the drawing, she drew everywhere outside of it. A bunch of patterns and random little objects like teddy bears and and flashlights combine to make a beautiful almost mosaic design. The only thing colored on the inside is the number ten in bright red, drawing the most attention.

 

     "Wow, that looks  _really_ good!!" I don't need to put any exaggeration in my comment, I really do think it's good; especially for a little girl her age.

 

      "Can I see youwrs?" She leans over until she's almost parallel to the ground to try to take a peak. I giggle and hold up my terrible coloring job of Elmo and the cookie monster eating cookies from a cookie jar. Her eyes light up when she sees my paper.

 

     "That looks really good, I like the cookies!!" She points to the tan and brown blobs of color towards the bottom of the page. I'm honestly quite surprised that she was able to tell what they were; even I can hardly tell.

 

     "Thank you." I put my paper back on the table and Petra puts hers on top of mine.

 

     "Can you write something for me?" She fiddles with a small doll in her hands that I didn't notice until just now. It looks a little horrific for such a young girl to play with, yet I don't mind as long as she enjoys it.

 

      "Sure, what do you want?" I ready a blue crayon over the center of the back of the paper: the only blank space on the whole thing.

 

     "I love you, daddy!" Petra watches me write it out, eyes wide in wonder as the letters slowly come to shape. "Oh, and a smiley face and a heawrt!" I laugh and sketch a small smiley face, grabbing a red crayon for the heart. "Thank you!! I'm gonna give this to my daddy." A smile splits her face before she folds it up and tucks it in her back pocket sloppily.

 

     Petra giggles happily and runs off to the blocks in the corner before I have a chance to respond. Instead I shrug and push my paper to the center of the table with the other scraps before getting up and following. Petra had already begun to stack up a bunch of wooden blocks, almost towering at three feet tall already.

 

      "Wow, you're a speedy builder!" Petra pauses mid-reach for another block.

 

      "You should see when my daddy helps me, he's like, a GAZILLION times faster than me. One time we built a massive castle with a prince and princess and everything! It had..."

 

* * *

 

 

       We spent the majority of the day building Petra's masterpiece. It wasn't until she placed the last block that I finally knew what she was trying to create.

 

      "Finally, Wall Maria is done!" Petra marches her titan doll, as I came to know it's called, up to the wall and roars ferociously as she smashes through it. The blocks come tumbling down with a loud roar and spill almost all the way across the floor of the daycare. Carter, the other boy that had helped us to build, falls on the floor laughing hysterically. I'm left on the outside, not really understanding what's going on, but I laugh along anyways. 

 

     Only one thing left before the kids can start going home: macaroni art. Fun? Yes. Easy? Yes. Messy? Hell yes. I don't know what I was thinking when I planned this for today's activity but there's no way I can back out of it now. I round up all of the employees and take them behind the counter. I make sure that Armin keeps an eye on the kids so they stay out of trouble during our temporary absence.

 

      "You guys ready for this?" I reach under the counter to grab the Walmart bag with boxes of macaroni. An audible groan goes around the circle as each person stretches out any cramps they may have gotten from being on the floor for so long playing with the kids. Horseface, of course, is the one to speak up.

 

      "Do we  _haaaave_ to?" Jean rubs his face tiredly, eyeing the noodles warily. 

 

      "Yes, we  _haaaave_ to, it's better than having a bunch of rowdy kids on the loose."

 

      "But that  _is_ a bunch of rowdy kids on the loose." Jean tilts his head and raises his eyebrow, challenging me to defy his logic. I choose to avoid the embarrassment and skirt around his challenge.

 

      "Can someone grab the paper plates and the glue?" I push through and out into the daycare again. A few curious heads turn to look at me but most focus on the task they have at hand. I set the bag on the coloring table and stack up the crayon boxes. Annie scowls when I take her crayon box away but remains silent as I clean up the rest of the table. Once it's completely clear, I take the boxes out of the bag and set them down gently.

 

      It's almost as though an alarm went off because as soon as the noodles hit the table all of the kids come running. Connie pushes through the small crowd of kids and sets the glue and plates on the table. Everyone else is careful to remain outside the herd of kids to avoid being called out to help. However, once all of the kids find a seat somewhere nearby, I wave them over to the table to help anyways.

 

      Each employee gets assigned 2-3 kids to watch over and help out in any way possible. Once everyone is settled and the macaroni is evenly distributed, I begin to hand out the small cups of glue with popsicle sticks to help spread it. The kids instantly dive into the glue, smearing it all over their plate and hands, covering every inch in the thick paste.

 

      Everyone, including myself, tries to stay as far away as possible to avoid becoming a mess, yet it's nearly inevitable as they call us over for help. I've been assigned to Annie and Petra, probably the best possible kids to have in this kind of situation. The two of them seem to have more self-control and more of a definite goal in mind than the other kids. Annie quietly makes patterns with the glue, occasionally sticking a noodle or two in there. Petra takes time to think it over before carefully slathering glue all over the top rim.

 

      "What are you making, Petra?" I stand a couple feet behind her to avoid the glue as I watch her work.

 

      "I'm making my daddy! You see the eyes and the hair?" She points to the area she had put glue and covered with noodles at the top and the two circles in the middle. The bottom half still remains blank, being that she hadn't gotten there yet. I nod in response and continue to watch her work on her masterpiece.

 

* * *

 

 

     The other kids finished up and left nearly an hour ago. Now only the late regulars remain. These are the children who have parents that work really late or have a long commute and always stay late. The group consists of Bertolt, Reiner, Annie, and apparently Petra. Carter had left about ten minutes ago and Petra was left to play with her titan doll with me, being that she didn't want to color.

 

     I didn't have much of an actual chance to play with Petra and her doll, being that she knew a whole story to go along with her doll that I was completely unfamiliar with. I settled on watching from a short distance and occasionally giving some input along the way. 

 

     I look to the door as the bell tinkles, announcing the entrance of another parent. Petra looks up when she realizes that I'm no longer watching her and her eyes slide to the door. As soon as the man appears around the corner, Petra jumps up eagerly with her arms thrown wide open and eyes bright. Her titan doll lays momentarily forgotten on the floor as the man spots Petra and comes hurtling towards her. He seems to speed around the toys on the floor with grace unknown to myself and I momentarily envy him for his apparently natural ability.

 

     The man, who I now assume is her father, bends down and picks Petra up, spinning her around before gripping her in a tight hug. I smile wide as I watch them, admiring their strong connection. After Petra receives a peck on the cheek from her father, he sets her on the ground and watches as she speeds off towards me.

 

     "Daddy! This is Ewren!" Petra throws her arms out and presents me proudly to her father. He smiles wide and moves his eyes from her up to meet mine. As soon as our eyes lock, he seems to freeze in place for a moment. I take the opportunity to admire the uncommon grey color of his eyes, blinking once he moves out of his freeze.

 

      He clears his throat as he reaches out his hand. "Hello, I'm Petra's dad, Levi."

   

     I shake his hand once firmly. "Hi! Nice to meet you, I'm Eren. Petra has had a  _great_ time today, isn't that right?" I turn to look at Petra who nods furiously in response. Her father's eyes seem to tender up as he looks at Petra.

 

     "Honey, why don't you go get your stuff together so we can go home." Petra smiles wide and begins to gather her few belongings, including the titan doll and macaroni face. Petra's father quickly takes the opportunity to pull me aside.

 

     In a worried and hushed whisper, he starts to question me thoroughly. "How was she? Were there any problems? What about-"

 

    I quickly cut him off and attempt to ease his worries before he gets to anxious. "Everything was fine, Petra played with the other kids just fine. We made a few crafts too. The whole time she was talking about how awesome her dad is and how she wanted to make a card for him. You should be proud to have a daughter like that, so polite!" In all honesty, I absolutely  _adore_ her, especially since her parents seemed to have raised her right.

 

    Before Petra's father has the chance to offer more questions, Petra returns with all of her belongings in hand and her coat over her shoulders. "Let's go! Bye bye Ewren!" Petra waves at me with her titan doll in hand as she heads towards the counter to check out. I wave back with a massive smile plastered on my face.

 

    I watch quietly as they stay at the desk for a few moments before heading to the door. I turn back to the toys to begin cleaning up but catch a quick grin that Armin flashes in my direction. The bell tinkles in the silence as they leave and I begin to clean up the toys from today with an extra spring in my step.  _I think I could get used to Petra coming every day...and her father too._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to keep the scene where Levi picks up Petra almost the same as the beginning chapter (it might explain the de-ja-vu feel). The part with the glue was a little tricky to write because I was trying to avoid making it sound potentially dirty (I know I'm not the only one without an accidentally dirty mind) so it's a bit different than it could have been...ha ;D. Any questions, comments, concerns, feel free to leave a comment! Next chapter: Levi talks to Petra about the daycare, he has his first real conversation with Eren, and you get a look at his job!
> 
> Random funfact: I used the word 'the' 231 times!


	7. Eren's Job- Interesting? Yes. Levi's Job? Not so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm sorry this chapter is late, my vacation ended up being extended through another weekend. I considered posting this chapter on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, but that would mean my "surprise" wouldn't be ready. My surprise for you: a Daycare Daddy background! I'm not exactly an artists but I tried! Here's the link: http://careforsometeaeren.tumblr.com/post/128716545716/i-know-im-rather-inactive-my-fan-fiction (I made it the size of a regular phone screen, sorry if it doesn't fit quite right!) Anyways, let's get on with the chapter! This one is from Levi's POV, just so you know from the start.

     I sling my arm over the back of the passenger's side seat to get a better angle while turning to see behind me. Petra sits in her car seat fiddling with her titan doll while quietly humming to herself, not paying any attention to the passing scenery outside of the window. I smile softly at her oblivion as I back out of the parking space and turn onto the main road.

 

     The sun is slowly setting behind the city's skyline by the time I pull up to our destination. Petra fell asleep in the backseat at some point during the long ride, cuddling her doll close to her chest. I quietly shut my door and walk around to her side to unbuckle her and wake her up. As I reach over her to undo the buckle, I hear a gentle yawn in my ear as Petra slowly wakes up. Once I have her free of the seat belt, I lift her into my arms and place her on my hip. Petra, still tired and eyes half closed, surrenders to my movements and watches on quietly while I shut the door to the car and lock it.

 

    Once I turn around, Petra gives an audible gasp at our unexpected location. The bright and colorful lights reflect off of her wide eyes, giving the impression that her soul is made of rainbows (which isn't far from the truth, as far as I'm cocnerned). She rubs her eyes with her little fists before looking again, checking to make sure that it isn't a dream she conjured up while sleeping.

 

    "Ice-cream?" Petra whispers, still looking at the colorful lights and the life-size cow sitting out front of the small shop.

 

    "Yes, ice-cream." I set a now wide-awake Petra on the ground and follow behind as she takes off running towards the cow. Once she gets there, she gingerly lays a hand on the belly and pats it, treating it as though it was a real cow. I step up behind her and grab her from under the arms and swing her up top to sit on its back. At first she gives a shout of surprise at being up so high, but gradually she grows more comfortable and leans forward slowly to engulf the cow's neck in her tiny arms.

 

     "Hey there, Mr. Moo Moo." Petra closes her eyes and rests her head on the cow, her hand gently petting under its chin. I cover my mouth and chuckle quietly. It seems to me as though Petra believes that she _is_  on a real cow. My assumptions are soon confirmed when Petra asks me a genuine question.

 

    "Why won't Mr. Moo Moo go moo?" Petra frowns and sits up straight on the cow's back, continuing to pet it with her tiny hands.

 

     Not wanting to ruin Petra's childhood wonder and imagination, I decide to soften my answer. "I think Mr. Moo Moo may be sick, we should give him some space to heal. How about we go and grab that ice-cream now?" I hold out my hand and raise my eyebrow, challenging Petra to put off having any ice-cream. Yet, just as I suspected, she instantly agrees and grabs my hand, leaping off of the cow and onto the ground in a graceful crouch. She no doubt got that from me, I've always had excellent balance and agility.

 

      She wanders over the counter and eyes the flavors, intent on deciphering them for herself without any help. However, after a few minutes of confusion and frustration, she finally turns to me with a pout on her face and asks for my help.

 

      I put my hand on her back and gently push her closer to the board to give her a closer look at the letters as I read the flavors out loud. For extra help, I follow along with my finger as I read, Petra's gaze on the words the entire time. She soaks up knowledge like a sponge and will no doubt be able to read these words within the next day without my help. That's part of the charm that Petra carries, she learns fast and she doesn't let it go. Once something has been taught to her or she believes she has figured something out, it's near impossible to change her mind. Unless, of course, you have something to back you up.

 

      "I want chocolate...oh oh oh! And rainbow sprinkles!!" Petra grabs the sleeve of my jacket tightly and jumps in anticipation, hoping that I would allow her to get sprinkles.

 

      I put my chin in my hand and appear to be thinking it over, hiding my smile as Petra's impatience grows. "Oh, alright." I agree with a surrendering tone. Petra pulls my hand out of my jacket sleeve and gives it three firm shakes.

 

      "Thank you, thank you very much!" I chuckle softly and give her a small kiss on the forehead before turning to the counter and placing our order. I get the special of the week; mint chocolate chip ice-cream (which happens to be my favorite) with whipped cream in a small cone and a cherry on top. For some reason I've always loved mint; there's something about the refreshing coolness it carries that lures me in.

 

       Not five minutes later Petra and I are seated at a table just behind the cow, enjoying our ice-cream in silence. I finish my cone long before Petra finishes hers to no surprise. I ordered a small cone and Petra insisted upon a large cup for her chocolate-y rainbow. I knew that there was no way she would be able to finish it, yet I succumbed to her puppy dog eyes and ordered it for her anyways.

 

      I wipe my fingers off with a napkin and fold them in my lap, observing Petra's fruitless attempts at getting the single sprinkle off the tip of her nose with only the use of her tongue. I counted two...three...four attempts that all ended in failure before deciding to help her out with a napkin to the face. We both giggle when another sprinkle already on the napkin takes the place of the first. I wipe her nose off once more and grunt once with satisfaction when it comes up clean.

 

      "Hey Petra, what did you think of the daycare today?" I made sure to catch her off guard so she would reply with a raw, direct answer.

 

     "I LOVED it! I even made a new fwend, his name's Carwtewr. He helpth me build Wall Marwia and playedth with my titan doll wif me, too. OH! And Ewren is gwreat too! I think you'll LOVE him!!" Petra speaks in small chunks between mouthfuls of ice-cream, treating it as though it would disappear if she didn't eat it fast enough.

 

      "Slow down Petra, and don't talk while you're chewing!" I scold her gently, knowing that it wasn't intentional. Petra complies and swallows her mouthful before apologizing.

 

       "What do you think about going back tomorrow?" I lean back in my seat with one eyebrow raised, anticipating an explosion of a reaction. I wasn't wrong, either.

 

      "REAWWYYYYYYY?!?" Petra's slams her spoon back down into her cup and jumps up onto the chair, stretching over the table while leaning on her hands. "I can!?!?" Petra's eyes grew even bigger, hoping that I wasn't messing with her. Of course, I've never been that rude in the past but she can't know for sure that it wouldn't happen in the future: or now for that matter.

 

       I give a slight nod and smirk slightly at Petra's bewildered expression as she lowers herself back into her chair. I've never had the chance to ask for her opinion, whatever daycare that she attended usually remained in my power and in mine alone. Yet, this time I was certain that we'd both come to the same conclusion. This daycare seemed to be worth a shot.

 

* * *

 

       Just as I pull into a parking spot, the talk show hosts on the early morning radio finally shut up and a song comes on. It's not even on for more than a few notes to squeeze through and Petra is already shouting at the top of her lungs.

 

       "I LOVE THITH THONG!" I chuckle quietly to myself.  _Hah, she said 'thong'._

 

       I reach out and turn the music up to its loudest just as the lyrics begin.

 

       " _Every day, is so wonderful. Then suddenly, it's hard to breathe."_ I glance back to see Petra singing and swaying along with the song, her doll clutched tightly in her hands.

 

       " _Now and then, I get insecure. From all the pain, I'm so ashamed."_

 

 _"I am beautiful, no matter what they say."_ I go quiet as Petra sings her 'signature' line of the song. When she had first heard the song, it instantly became her favorite lyric and made it a rule that she was the one who had to sing it.

 

        _"Words can't bring me down, oh no..."_ I pull off a quick riff, using my finger to add more sass to the moment.

 

       " _So don't you bring me down, ohh, today."_

 

Petra and I stay in the car until the song is completely finished, down to the very last note. By the time we're walking through the doors of the daycare, the sun is already just above the skyline of the city. I'm tempted to stop and stare, but I remember that I'm supposed to be going to work very soon and I couldn't afford to be late.

 

        The second that I finish signing Petra in, the man with the bright, green eyes approaches us eagerly. Petra looks up between us, back and forth, before running off the play with the toys. It takes me a moment to decipher what her body language was saying, but once I do I look up and directly into the pools of green. Accidentally, of course, but there's no way I can back out now.

 

       I stick my hand out and firmly grasp his, giving it one hard shake. "For a more formal introduction: I'm Levi." I withdraw my hand without any facial expressions, trying to read him before he could read me.

 

      "Hello, nice to meet you... _properly._ I'm Eren." He flashes me a bright grin and lets his hands dangle at his sides. I take a moment to look in his eyes for any hint of emotion, some sort of reaction to our introduction. Yet, to my surprise, the only one I find is...

 

       _Amusement?_

 

"What?" Eren cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow curiously.  _Shit, I must've said that out loud._

 

"Amusement..uh, this place is good for my, I mean, uh Petra's...amusement." I finish it off lamely and look past Eren's shoulder, anything to avoid the awkward eye contact that is bound to come after something like that. However, when I take a quick glance back at Eren, he seems to be looking at me in mild awe.

 

      "What?" I cross my arms and lean against the counter behind me, my confidence growing once I see that Eren doesn't seem bothered or doesn't notice my awkwardness.

 

      He clears his throat and quickly moves his gaze down to my feet. "Nothing...just, uh...nothing." He steps back and puts his hands in his khaki pockets, turning around to leave. Without any hesitation or real thought, I lunge out and grab him by the elbow. I would've grabbed him by the shoulder, but the height difference would've left me with my hand above my head.  _Not the best position to be in when you want to be the one in command..._

 

      "Did you...uh...see the sunrise?" I scramble to explain my sudden lunge with something that makes some sort of sense. Eren turns back around to look at me, then follows my slightly trembling finger to look outside the large picture window at the front.

 

      "Isn't it beautiful?" Eren answers in a breathy whisper as he wanders over to stand beside the window. I give an internal sigh of relief at my save before joining him to look outside.

 

       "Yeah, it's something I could definitely get used to." I tuck my hands in my pant pockets and rock slightly from heel to toe unconsciously while finally getting the chance to fully admire the sunrise I was craving a peek at.

 

       I don't realize that Eren was looking at me until I turned to see why there was a lull in the conversation. When my eyes met his, he quickly turned away and pretended as though he wasn't looking at me, despite it being blatantly obvious.

 

      With a sigh, I step back from the window and remove my hands from my pockets. "I guess I better be going now...I'll be back later for Petra. Make sure you take good care of her." I point my finger at him lazily as I pull open the door.

 

       "Of course." The last thing I see before the door shuts behind me is Eren's blinding smile... _was that a wink?_

 

* * *

 

 

       "Levi, you're late." I nearly jump at the booming voice calling me out. I turn slowly on my heels to face Mr. Captain America standing at the other end of the hallway. In only a few strides he stands in front of me, looking down at me with an unreadable expression on his face. "Care to explain?"  _Sigh, and I thought I was in the clear._

 

"Of course, sir." I follow directly behind him as we head back down the hall to his office. I keep my eyes on the ground to avoid eye contact with the other employees watching the exchange.

 

       Once inside, I stand in front of the single chair placed before Erwin's intimidating modern glass and metal desk. Once Erwin has taken his seat, he motions for me to sit down. I sit uneasily, keeping to the edge of the chair if a quick escape is needed. My eyes follow Erwin's hand as he reaches for his pot of coffee at the edge of his desk and pours a mug. To my surprise, he holds it out to me.

 

       "Would you care for some coffee?" I look back and forth between him and the mug being held in my face, utterly confused.  _He called me into his office to talk about me being late, more than likely to give me my one and only warning before being fired. Yet, here he is, offering me coffee._

 

Erwin clears his throat and I blink twice, realizing how long I've been silent and staring. I grab the mug from his hands and mutter a soft 'thank you' as I set it on my lap, one hand fed through the handle and the other cupping the other side. The warmth seeps through my clothes and slowly warms up my chilly bones. I didn't have the chance to stop for coffee this morning after realizing how late my chat with Eren brought me. With a quick glance I see that the coffee is black, the only way I like it. If I had my choice, I would rather have had tea. I can't complain, though, I'd much rather take the coffee than be fired from my job.

 

 

       "So, Levi, how has your morning been so far?" Erwin's tone sounds conversational, a lot more friendly than I had anticipated.

 

       It takes me a bit to gather my thoughts into a comprehensible answer. "Good, I guess. It was a beautiful sunrise." I take a cautious sip of my coffee and close my eyes as the warmth floods my senses.

 

       When I open my eyes, I notice that Erwin is no longer at his desk. I whirl around in my chair and spot him standing by the floor to ceiling window overlooking the city.

 

        "It was, wasn't it?" Erwin's hands rest behind his back, one clasping the other. Somehow the man manages to look relaxed and alert at the same time, all with an air of respect and command. I remain in my seat, unsure where I belong in this odd turn of the situation.

 

        "So...uh..." I desperately try to remove the silence hanging heavily between us, yet my mind fails to conjure up something worthwhile.

 

       "What do you think of the coffee?" Without realizing it, I lift the mug to my lips at the mention of it. However, as I tip it back, my eager lips are met with air. I pull it away and raise it to eye level to see that it's empty.

 

        "I take it that you very much enjoyed it." Erwin crosses the room to sit behind his desk once again. He waves for me to hand him my mug and I oblige, eager to have more of the glorious warming and energizing liquid. I relax back into my seat once my now-full mug is returned to my cold hands.

 

        "Thank you very much for the coffee, sir..." I hesitate to continue, but who knows how long I would be stuck in this office if I didn't get to the point. "...but, uh, don't you want to know why I was late?" I swirl the coffee around in the mug, taking care to not let a single drop spill over the edge.

 

         "Oh, don't worry about that. I understand if you come in late every now and then, even the best of us could use some more sleep once in a while. The coffee should help to wake you up." I finish my coffee quickly as Erwin rises from his chair and starts walking to the door. I stand and place my mug on the edge of his desk before scrambling after him to catch up.

 

          "Thank you very much, sir." I nod my head respectfully as I pass by him and out the door.

 

         "Anytime, Levi."

 

          I hurry away as quickly as possible, eager to get back to my desk and think over the assumptions I had made about Erwin and this job. Maybe working for Captain America with eyebrows on fleek isn't  _that_ bad.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about that last sentence, I typically don't say "on fleek", but how else do I describe Erwin's eyebrows? Seriously tell me if there's a better way! (Who knows, I may include it!) Until next time :D


	8. Sunrise Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is from Eren's POV, hope you enjoy!

     I tap my foot absentmindedly on the carpet, my elbow resting on the coloring table behind me. The only sound is the quiet clicking of wooden blocks being pushed around in the corner by the single child that is occupying the daycare. It's only 6:30 in the morning, most other children don't arrive for another hour and I'm left with nothing to do but sit around and wait.

 

     I glance over at Carter to make sure he is doing all right before pulling my phone out of my back pocket. I unlock it and check my twitter and tumblr feed for a bit, skipping all of the NSFW posts. For the most part I don't mind them, but there's no way I'll get caught looking at nude drawings of men getting it on at a  _daycare._

 

It seems as though only minutes have passed, yet when I look up the sun is already peeking just above the skyscrapers. The rest of the employees by this point have already finished getting everything set up for the day and stand scattered around, making small talk to pass the time in their own way. Carter is still tediously working to create a tower taller than himself, but every time it gets as tall as him it falls to the ground. It hadn't stopped it yet, though. Once it's fallen he builds it right back up again.

 

    I stretch out my cramped legs and cover my mouth to yawn. As I rise from my chair, I notice a new car parked out front that hadn't been there earlier when I came in. It doesn't seem to match any other car of the customers I have, or at least those that I know of. Normally this wouldn't interest me too much but there isn't anything keeping me occupied at the moment. I continue to watch the car for a bit before I realize that there are people still inside. I step closer to the window and cup my hands around my eyes to see through the reflection. 

 

     A wide grin stretches across my face when I see that the car belongs to Levi and Petra, the new family that had came in yesterday. My spirits lift at the thought of having new regulars to see around on a daily basis. I cup my hands back around my eyes and lean forward against the window again. There appears to be a lot of motion inside, so much so that I can't tell what they are doing. However, after a few moments of watching I pick up a pattern to their movements.  _Wait a second...are they dancing?!_  
  


I break out into a loud fit of laughter and continue to watch, noticing that Levi appears to be singing along with whatever song is playing. Petra is partially hidden behind the front seat, but I can see her small hands waving to the rhythm. The longer I watch, the funnier it gets until I'm at the point of bending over and holding my stomach from laughing so hard. I wipe away the tears from the corner of my eyes and straighten up. Just then the door bell tinkles to announce their arrival. 

 

     I smooth my hair out and adjust my shirt ever so slightly to make sure I look presentable before heading over to them. Petra stands beside her dad and watches as I approach. I shift my gaze to fall on Levi and see that he is looking down at Petra quietly. I'm not sure what Petra is doing being that my full focus is on Levi, but she must've done something; when she presumably leaves, Levi whips his head up quickly and locks eyes immediately with me.

 

     He sticks his hand out quickly and I shake it once. "For a more formal introduction: I'm Levi." He pulls his hands back with a blank face; no polite smile.

 

     "Hello, nice to meet you... _properly_. I'm Eren." I flash him a bright grin to make up for his coldness and drop my hands to my sides loosely. He looks me up and down a bit, pausing at my eyes.

 

      "Amusement?"

 

      I struggle to hide my amused smirk and instead raise one eyebrow and cock my head to the side in confusion. "What?"

 

      Levi appears to be scrambling for an answer. "Amusement..uh, this place is good for my, I mean, uh Petra's...amusement." He finishes it off lamely and looks past my shoulder.

 

      I open my mouth to say something, but freeze when I notice his eyes.  _Damn, those eyes...why do I feel like I've seen them before? The shades of grey blending flawlessly into a, cold steely gaze...but the way the sunrise reflects off of them makes them appear soft..._ Levi turns his head to look at me and I quickly shut my mouth, realizing that it had been hanging wide open.

 

      My minor slip up appears to give him more confidence as he leans back against the counter and crosses his arms. "What?"

 

     I clear my throat and look down at his shoes.  _Whoa...those are shiny shoes..._ "Nothing...just, uh...nothing." I shove my hands into my pockets and step back, turning to leave with the expectation of the conversation being dropped because of the heavy awkwardness I had created. I spot Petra playing with Carter and I set course for the block corner, but stop when I feel someone grabbing my elbow.

 

       "Did you...uh...see the sunrise?" I recognize it as Levi's voice and avoid looking at him. Instead, I wander over to the window and look outside in the direction of the city skyline.

 

       "Isn't it beautiful?" I typically don't take a lot of time to stop and look at sunrises or sunsets, yet I wish I did. The reflection I saw in Levi's eyes was the first look at a sunrise I had gotten in a long time. Honestly, I think I preferred that more than the original that I'm laying my eyes upon now. Not that it's ugly, of course.

 

       "Yeah, it's something I could definitely get used to." Levi speaks from slightly behind me, also facing the sunrise. I consider my options and decide that it wouldn't be too bad if I got caught watching the sunrise from Levi's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, I shift my focus to him. Thankfully his gaze is still outside and he doesn't catch me staring. I manage to sneak in a few seconds of looking before Levi's eyes turn to me and I quickly look away, acting as though nothing happened.  _I don't think he noticed..._

 

        Levi begins to wander over to the door casually. "I guess I better be going now...I'll be back later for Petra. Make sure you take good care of her." He points to me as he pulls the door open with his other hand.

 

        "Of course." I smile wide and watch him leave. Just as the door is closing and I'm almost sure he won't see, I give him a small wink as a quiet 'thanks' for a beautiful start to my day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is rather short (at least compared to the last one), I just needed Eren's perspective on Levi a bit before I could move on. Also, did you see what I did there? "Beautiful start to my day", Levi and Petra were listening to "Beautiful" in the car? Haha...I'm /so/ funny. The next chapter should be interesting (and longer), I have some awkward pining and a one-on-one... /sticky/ situation planned ;D Until next time!


	9. Google Eyes and White Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you guys so much for 2,000+ hits, I don't know what to say! The weirdest part is is that when I went to update I noticed that I had 2,222 hits and 22 bookmarks...I think it's the universe trying to send me some kind of message. 
> 
> This one will be third person to get proper perspective from all angles and inside both Levi and Eren's thoughts without taking up three whole updates. (cause honestly I just want to get to the Ereri fluff and cuddles already ^3^)

     Levi had been taking Petra to Jaeger's ChildCare Center for almost two weeks before he finally got the chance to have a proper and private conversation with Eren. The circumstances, however, were not particularly the best.

 

     Eren had been working with Annie at the craft table, attempting to make a snowman to celebrate the coming winter. Annie took meticulous care to make sure she stayed as clean as possible and that her work area would remain neat and organized. Eren, however, was much more carefree with the way he handled himself. He had crayons, paper scraps, and glue scattered all around the table and in his hands, some of the glue oozing onto his hands.

 

     Once Eren had heard the bell tinkle, he immediately looked up and caught Levi's eye. He glanced at Annie to make sure she was doing alright before scurrying over to meet him. However, in doing so, he completely ignored the toys scattered all around the floor and took a miraculous fall over a red wooden wagon. Were it not for Levi, Eren would've hit the ground face-first- hard. But since Levi was there, with his super fast reflexes and incredible strength for such a small build, Eren was saved from near disaster.

 

      The main problem, however, was that in the process Eren's hands dragged all the way down Levi's expensive black trench coat, leaving a trail of sticky glue behind. They stayed in that awkward position for a bit, with Eren bridged out over the floor and his hands grasping onto Levi's forearms with his hands holding Eren up by the armpits. It wasn't until Petra spoke that the two men realized how precarious their positions were. They immediately stand simultaneously and look in opposite directions, the glue on Levi's coat momentarily forgotten.

 

      "Ewren, can you help me with this?" Petra holds out a large container of googly eyes and Eren takes it with a firm grasp. Holding it tight against his body, Eren braces himself and tries to turn the lid to the left to open it.

 

" _Righty...t-tighty, l-lefty....loosey..."_ Eren recites the common phrase to himself, almost as a sort of encouragement.

 

 

    It seems to not move at all, but in a sudden blur the top goes flying off and the google eyes launch themselves at Levi. Most stick to the glue still staining Levi's trench coat, but some land on the floor in his shadow. Petra giggles loudly and bends down to pick the eyes up off the floor.

 

      Eren stays frozen in the same position that he ended in when the top came off: one arm extended toward Levi with the container tipped to the side and his other arm slightly behind and to the right. He blinks twice, then unfreezes and starts giggling along with Petra. Levi, however, does not find this the slightest bit funny.

 

       By the time that Petra and Eren have all of the googly eyes picked up off of the floor, Levi is absolutely fuming. His face remains practically stoic with only small flashes of annoyance flying across his eyes before returning to normal. When Eren has the lid back on tight and had sent Petra on her way, Levi grabs his arm and yanks him around the corner near the front door.

 

      Levi clears his throat and takes a deep breath to calm himself before speaking. "Eren..." For the lack of a better way of putting it, Levi simply gestures to his now completely ruined $400 coat still covered in googly eyes and drying glue. Eren looks him up and down, assessing the situation, then bursts out laughing again; this time even louder than before.

 

      "Levi...ahaha! Levi! Y-you...you look ridicu-lou-ous!" Eren holds his stomach with one hand and leans on the wall with the other, bending over with laughter.

 

       "I know, now would you just shut up about it!?" Levi intends for it to come out harsher and more commanding, but for some reason it comes out with an  _amused tone._ It seems as though Eren's light-hearted carefree handle on the situation is warming Levi's permafrost heart without him even knowing.

 

       Eren, laughing too hard to get words out, turns and gestures for Levi to follow as he heads to the bathroom in the back. Levi is left with no other choice but to follow if he plans on getting to work on time and without looking like a fool. Well, either that or he leaves without a coat and there is  _no_ way that he is going to die by freezing to death; it is simply the worst and most idiotic way to go.

 

       Levi pushes the door open just before it swings completely shut and stands silently in the doorway. Eren is already at the single sink, scrubbing away like a madman to try and get the glue and googly eyes off of the coat. The only sound is the water pouring out of the faucet and into the white basin of the tiny sink.

 

       Levi's legs grow slightly numb from standing still in one place for so long so he begins to wander slightly. There isn't much room in the bathroom for the both of them but it'll do. After all, they are only going to be in there for a very small amount of time.

 

       Levi finds his feet carrying him to stand behind Eren and look on as he scrubs at the coat. There isn't anything particularly stimulating about the process, but Levi finds himself enraptured all the same. It's almost as though anything that Eren does is stunning.

 

       Five minutes pass and Eren is still scrubbing furiously, his frustration growing rapidly. Levi had already given up long ago on his coat being restored to its former glory.

 

       "Dammit, I can't do it!" Eren slams the coat down into the sink and lets the faucet continue to fill the basin with water. Levi flinches slightly with Eren's sudden outburst, a change from the dead silence that had been there only moments ago.

 

        Levi eyes Eren as he hovers over the sink with his eyes closed and his hair covering his face. One hand rests on either side and grips the edge tight, tight enough to make his knuckles turn white. Levi steps forward and gently lays his hand over Eren's to which Eren instantly loosens up; more in surprise than relief. Levi himself is quite taken aback at his bold move but he isn't going to back out. Instead he establishes eye contact with Eren and begins to ease his troubled mind.

 

       "Eren, it's fine. It's not your fault, either." They both knew that it wasn't the case, but Levi continued anyways. "I'll just find a replacement."  _Easier said than done..._

 

      Eren's forehead is still wrinkled with worry, but he nods anyways, trusting that Levi knew what he was doing. In all reality, however, Levi has no clue what he's going to do. Eren brushes past him to leave the bathroom, accidentally touching hands. They both instantly tense at the contact but neither say a word. Instead, they both continue back out to the main daycare with butterflies in their stomachs.

 

      Levi gives Petra her kissing hand for the day and heads to the door, no coat on or around his being. He hesitates before yanking the door open and stepping out into the chilly November air. As Levi unlocks his car, a voice calls out his name and stops him.

 

      "Wait! Levi! Try this." Eren jogs out the door quickly and shoves something into Levi's arms, then immediately turns around and heads back into the warm daycare. Levi shuffles slightly from foot to foot, unsure of how to handle the situation at hand. After some thought, Levi unlocks his car and tosses his wet, bagged coat into the backseat and unfolds the bundle in his arms. Is that... _  
_

 

      "Eren's sweater?" Levi holds the sweater up by the shoulders and takes in the massive size of it. The maroon, gold, and green horizontal stripes are anything but flattering, yet it adds a nice touch to the bland original cream color. Levi turns it around and holds it up to himself to compare the size and notes that it goes all the way down to his knees. He holds it out at arms' length once again before deciding to put it on. Eren's sweater is certainly better than nothing in temperatures like this.

 

       As he pulls it over his head, Levi notices that the sweater smells strongly of Eren's musk; similar to cinnamon, pine, and an unidentifiable flowery scent. He inhales deeply before pulling it all the way over his head and letting it settle onto his small frame. One shoulder hangs off slightly and the bottom of the sweater goes even further past his knees than originally thought, but the cozy warmth it provides suggests that it was made just for him.

 

       As Levi ducks into his car, Eren sighs in relief from within the daycare and lets the curtain drop back to cover the window. He had worried that Levi wouldn't accept it or that it would be considered too weird to wear; especially since they haven't known each other for very long.

 

      Just as Eren sighs a relief and turns to head back into the mob of kids that built up in the daycare while he was gone, he hears Armin call his name from behind the counter. The tone of his voice didn't suggest that it was anything too urgent, so Eren took his sweet time moseying over to him.

 

       "What up?" Eren leans forward on the counter, letting his hands hang over the edge above Armin's papers stacked neatly on the desk.

 

        "What's up with you and...um...uh..."

 

        "Levi?"

 

        "Yeah, that's it!" Armin snaps his fingers and points at me as though I had answered a long debated question.

 

        "Nothing at all, really."

 

        "Are you sure about that?" Armin's eyes carried the type of glint he gets when he believes he knows something that others do not.

 

        "Yeah, positive. There's nothing there, I swear."

 

* * *

 

 

        As Levi was walking into work, his phone 'dinged' with an alert. As he went through the revolving door in the front, he pulled it out of his pants pocket to see what it was.  _Ahh...another text from Hanji..._

 

Levi proceeded to open it while stepping onto the empty elevator.

 

        _ **From Hanji:** So...how's your crush doing?_

 

_**From Levi:** Shut up four eyes._

 

_**From Hanji:** You know, I can really sense something there!_

 

_**From Levi:** Do I care? There's nothing there, I swear._

 

* * *

 

That night, both Levi and Eren lay wide awake in bed, thinking of the other. Levi cuddled up in bed with Eren's sweater, taking deep, long breaths of the heavy yet gentle scent it carried; Eren recalled the butterflies he felt after accidentally brushing his hand. They both knew that there was something about the other that made them feel, well, something, but it would be a while before either musters up the courage to do something about it.

 

       As Eren and Levi fell asleep, they both wondered the same thing:  _Is there something there?_ _  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It probably seems a bit all over the place and sloppy, sorry about that. It's difficult going from first to third person like that and I've had a lot of stuff on my mind that kept interfering with my thought process. *This is not me looking for attention, just explaining the mumble-jumble this chapter became.* Next chapter should be back to first person and a little more understandable (hopefully). Until next time!
> 
> Edit: I absolutely had to come back and add another word because I CAN NOT stand having 17,999 words. The word I added was...wait for it.../long/. So exciting, right? XD Buh bye


	10. Elevator Struggles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, this chapter has no planning whatsoever. Due to a rather tight schedule, I didn't have a lot of time to think it through so I just went off without a goal...hopefully this doesn't end up a train-wreck. However, I can promise you this: there will be cute pining/kinda-not-really-fluff. Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. There is a bit more cursing in this chapter than others, but not much.
> 
> P.P.S. Sorry this is a bit late in the day, I ended up getting dragged out to my family's house for a long time.

     I simply could not bring myself to return Eren's sweater. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't take it off and simply give it back. His smell began to really grow on me until I became obsessed. Eventually I began to smell it without even realizing it, lifting my arm to my nose to take a quick whiff and then setting it back down within the space of a few seconds. Every time his scent filled my nose, my head went a little fuzzy and my heart beat a little faster, yet I still continued to ignore the signs and passed them off as natural.

 

     It's been a while since the last time I was in a relationship and it didn't end so well. Therefore I was rather terrified of starting one again for fear of being hurt and hurting someone else. Because of this, I managed to cut off as much human interaction as possible and ignore any advances that were made on me. This was the first time that I had really felt my heart beat in a long time and it caught me quite off-guard. Instead of worrying about it, I immediately pushed the thought to the back of my mind and took to my work more seriously than ever.

 

     By the time lunch break rolled around, my fingers felt as though they were going to fall off from typing so rapidly and consistently for hours on end. With a groan I stood and stretched a bit, arching my back and throwing my hands above and behind my head. While doing so, a few cracks and pops sounded loudly, announcing my "old age" to everyone in the vicinity. A few odd looks were shot my way but I ignored them for the most part as I made my way to the cafeteria on the first floor.

 

      When I neared the elevator, I was caught with a difficult choice. The stairwell stood to the right of the elevator with a small golden plaque naming it the "12th Floor Stairwell." I looked back and forth between the shiny silver doors shut tightly on the elevator as it descended and the simple wooden door for the stairs. With so much going on between work and Petra's care, I have had very little time to workout. I used to go to the gym every day, leaving at five thirty to make sure I got there right when it opened at six so I could get whatever machine I pleased and be able to go back home in time for Petra to wake up for breakfast. This was when I was still married and wasn't entirely responsible for Petra's well-being.

 

       I bounced lightly from foot to foot, warming myself up to take the stairs. Yet, just as I was pulling the door open to begin my long downward journey, the elevator 'dinged' its arrival. With a sigh of obvious relief, I pulled the door shut and stepped into the elevator with only one other person occupying the space.

 

       The ride wasn't particularly long or awkward, but it was rather dull. The other person, who appeared to be a new intern by the look of her nervous fidgeting, spent the majority of the ride staring at an intriguing spot on the wall with her foot tapping mindlessly. I stood in the opposite corner and chose to watch the numbers gradually fall as we continued to descend. As long as the intern didn't talk to me I was okay with sharing my elevator. Yes,  _my_ elevator, I'm the only one allowed in the elevator at a time to avoid interaction with strangers. There have actually been a few occasions on some of my... _bad_  days where I stood in front of the elevator door and blocked it as more people tried to come in and join me. Because of those few bad days, I've earned myself the nickname "Gandolf". I've even had people shout "you shall not pass" as I went by them in the halls, but that was quickly ended when one of the interns "accidentally" got locked in the janitor closet...but that's a story for another time.

 

       When we reached the first floor, the intern was the first to scramble out and away from the elevator with the same determination of a antelope trying to get away from a lion. I watched her leave with a slightly amused smirk before entering the cafeteria. I only had one goal in mind as soon as I stepped through the doorway: don't die. 

 

       I weaved around the tables and made a bee-line for the food counter. As I got closer I locked my eyes on the only Philly cheese steak sandwich left on the deli counter. I wasn't even half a second from reaching out and grabbing it when it suddenly disappeared. I blinked once to make sure it wasn't my imagination, then whirled around angrily to see who had grabbed it.

 

      I turned with the expectation of seeing some idiot already munching on the sandwich happily, but that wasn't the case at all. I had to step back slightly to look all the way up to see Erwin smiling politely at me. I quickly erased my angry scowl and replaced with a gentle smile (although it probably looked more like a grimace.)

 

      "Mr. Smith, nice to see you." I give one curt nod and try to duck around him to avoid a conversation consisting of nothing but unimportant small talk about the weather and what my favorite sports team of the season is. I almost make it, but I get stopped by Erwin's gentle, yet booming voice.

 

      "Levi, I would like to speak with you in my office, please." I turn slowly on my heels and try to read the meaning behind his statement, but I come up with nothing. Instead I willingly nod and follow him back to the elevator with no food in hand. Knowing Erwin, he probably didn't intend to leave me hungry and food-less but it didn't change the reality of my growing hunger.

 

       In the elevator, I leave a few feet of space between us, hoping that he can't hear my growling stomach make its appearance every few seconds. The whole ride feels rather tense, yet Erwin appears unaware of it and steps out of the elevator with a gentle smile. I can't help but envy his positive outlook he has of anything and everything with ease.

 

       Once in his office, I quietly shut the door behind me and take my seat across from him, crossing my legs and resting one arm on either arm rest comfortably. If I'm going to miss my lunch, I might as well be comfortable doing so. 

 

      Erwin sets the Philly cheese steak on his desk and sits back, mimicking my position but with an air of superiority. 

 

      "Levi, I like your new sweater. I was wondering, where did you get it?" Erwin raises an eyebrow as he scrutinizes my choice in clothing. I look down, expecting to see one of my dark turtle necks hugging my figure tightly. 

 

       "Oh..." My mouth moves but hardly any sound comes out as I realize that I had been wearing Eren's sweater for almost three days straight, ever since he let me borrow it. I hadn't managed to find time to go shopping for a new coat and I was reluctant to return the sweater. I try to convince myself it was because I didn't have any other coats and that it was too cold to not wear one, but I knew better. But it doesn't make any sense, I had brought Petra in two times now ever since I had borrowed it and not once has he said anything about getting it back.

 

       Erwin clears his throat and I realize that he's still waiting for his answer. "Oh, uh...a friend of mine gave it to me as a present." Not exactly the truth but not quite a total lie either. Erwin nods slightly and appears to be thinking about something for a few moments. I shift awkwardly in my chair, eager to get back to the cafeteria to grab some food before my lunch break is up.

 

       "Okay." Erwin leans forward and reaches for his sandwich.

 

       "Okay?" I can't help but question it aloud, did that mean that I was free to go?

 

        "That's all I wanted to know." Erwin begins to unwrap his food tantalizingly slow and I can't help but drool about the thought of eating.

 

         I leave with a simple 'goodbye sir' for lack of a better answer and dash to the cafeteria once more, pleased to find an empty elevator already waiting for me. Once inside I jab at the button for the first floor repeatedly as though it would get me there faster. The door slides shut very slowly, seemingly slower than usual as though it was in on the master plan of keeping me from eating my much-needed lunch.

 

         I watch the numbers with eager eyes, willing them to go down faster. However, when it gets to floor five, the numbers stop changing. I grumble to myself, expecting another passenger to get on, yet the doors remain shut. It's then that I realize the whole elevator stopped moving.

 

        "Great...just great..." I slump against the wall and slide to the floor until I'm in sitting position with my head in my hands. I guess the elevator  _was_ in on the plan to keep me from eating; it also happened to be so passionate about it that it completely _broke down_. With a deep breath, I prepare myself to stay in the elevator for a very long time.

 

* * *

 

 

         It turns out that the long time I had prepared for was longer than I thought. It was nearly five hours later and I was still sitting in the empty elevator alone. My phone's battery has been nearly entirely depleted due to my desperate urge to check it every five seconds to see if any time has passed. During the first hour I remained in the same position, not focusing on any one thought in particular. When the second hour rolled around my eyelids started to feel heavy and I fell asleep, still in the same position. When I woke up forty-five minutes later I expected the maintenance crew to have already fixed it but my eager eyes were met with the steel doors still shut firmly.

   

        Through the second, third, and forth hours I spent my time pacing impatiently and wondering about my life choices. By this point I had already promised myself that I would start working out more so I wouldn't get stuck in a situation like this again. If I had taken the stairs in the first place, none of this would've happened  _and_ I would've gotten my daily exercise in. 

 

        My legs start to feel the strain of pacing for so long and i choose to sit down in the opposite corner than I had chosen initially, favoring a change of 'pace'. I take to banging my head against the wall of the elevator for lack of a better plan. It's then that I feel an odd vibration coming from the pocket of my- no, Eren's- sweater. I stare oddly at my pocket for a few seconds before realizing that it means I'm getting a phone call.  _Why the hell didn't I think of that?_ _  
_

 

       I eagerly grab my phone and put it to my ear, forgetting my limited time on the phone. It takes me a moment to gain my voice back enough to speak after being silent for so long. 

 

       "H-hello?" My voice still sounds a little croaky but at least it's understandable.

 

       "Levi?" The voice doesn't sound recognizable at first, but I quickly realize that it's Eren.

 

       "Eren! Is that you?" I lean forward slightly in anticipation.

 

       "Yeah...Levi, where are you?" The sound crackles slightly but I pay it no mind.

 

       "About that, I got stuck in an elevator at work and they still haven't gotten me out. How is Petra doing?"

 

        "What?! You're stuck in-" All of a sudden Eren's voice gets cut off and I yank the phone away from my ear to find the cause.

 

        "Dammit, dead battery!" I throw my phone across the elevator in anger and glare at it with my arms crossed.  _I nearly got out of this hell hole, then that stupid piece of shit had to break down on me._

 

I spend a few minutes gathering myself and organizing my irrational thoughts into rational ones before making another move. I wearily eye my phone lying face-down on the floor near the wall, 99% sure that I had broken the screen. Just to make sure, I crawl over to where the device rests and pick it up.

 

        On the ground lay exactly 7 shards from my phone screen, each one jagged and pointed around the edges. The smallest piece of glass is about the size of my thumbnail and the largest nearly the size of my chapstick. I've always made sure to bring chapstick with me wherever I go because there is nothing more that I hate than chapped lips.  _Speaking of chapstick..._

 

I twist my torso to try and access my back pocket to grab my chapstick and notice a small speck of red on my thumb. Upon closer inspection I see that it's a small cut, most likely from the shattered phone screen. I stare at it blankly, my mind lagging behind but desperately trying to get up to speed. Once I realize that I have a cut I immediately put my thumb in mouth to clean the blood and stem the bleeding. If I was in any other situation I definitely wouldn't have stuck my thumb directly in my mouth like that, but I didn't have many options while stuck in an elevator. 

 

        With my thumb still in my mouth, I scoot back to the wall and lean against it. I close my eyes and desperately will the insanity nipping at the edge of my consciousness away.  _You're not allowed to lose yourself, you.._

 

"...hear?" It isn't until I catch the echo of my voice bouncing back that I realize I had been talking aloud to myself. My eyes widen ever so slightly as it dawns on me that I truly am beginning to lose my mind. I start to rock front to back ever so slightly, my thumb still in my mouth. As an attempt to soothe myself further, I wrap my other arm around my legs and hold them close to me. With my eyes closed, I continue to rock in the corner in a small ball with my thumb stuck in my mouth.

 

       Of course, that's when my rescuers finally decide to make their appearance.

 

       I didn't know what was happening until it was too late. While I was busy trying to calm myself down, the elevator had returned to its original functioning state and the doors had slid open. Waiting on the other side of the doors was the one and only Eren Jaeger with Petra's hand grasped tightly in his own. The sound of their laughter was what pulled me out of my reverie. The instant Eren noticed my absolutely pissed-off expression, he shut his mouth and muffled his laughter with his hand. Petra continued to laugh freely, either not noticing or caring how angry I looked.

 

       "Shut up..." I mumble half-halfheartedly as I pull my thumb out of my mouth and rise to my shaky feet. I put my hand out for the elevator wall to steady myself but instead grab something warm, steady, and firm. When my eyes reach the end of my arm, I realize that my hand is connected to Eren's arm. Apparently when I had started to stumble, he immediately reacted and stepped out to catch me. My heart skipped a quick beat with the realization, but it was so minimal to me that I hardly noticed... _hardly..._

 

        I work the cramps out of my legs a bit before nodding to Eren to signal that I'm fine to walk on my own. Petra continues to cling onto Eren but she occasionally shoots me curious glances. With how confused and disoriented Petra appears, I realize that Eren most likely didn't explain what was happening to her. I flash her a small comforting smile to try to ease her worries and let out a small, satisfied huff of air when she returns it.

 

        I had been walking on auto-pilot and didn't even realize that I had reached my office until my hand was on the handle and already twisting it. I pause before shoving it open, a little self-conscious about letting Eren see my office. There had been a few occasions that Petra had come with me to work for a bit while Hanji drove over from her house to pick her up. Eren, on the other hand, has never even seen me outside of the daycare, let alone at work.

 

       Despite being worried about Eren's reaction to my work space, I make sure I exude an air of confidence and ease as I head to my desk. I begin to pack up my papers in my briefcase, allowing Eren and Petra to roam freely.

 

       "Holy...this place is _clean..._ " Eren's voice is laced with awe as he spins in a slow circle to take it all in. I simply shrug in response, not really paying much attention to his comment. I get told often that I'm a clean-freak and over time I've gradually become numbed to it.

 

       I suppose I am a bit of a clean freak, even a single piece of dust or dirt can set me off on a cleaning spree. My desk is definitely the cleanest part of the room; a simple yet elegant black wooden square with rounded edges and no seams: just the way like it. The only personal items I keep on the desk aside from my work papers and computer are a picture of Petra and I at the beach and a miniature macaroni face that Petra had claimed looked exactly like me. Behind my desk sits my favorite chair in the world: Fernando. Yes, that's right, I named my wheely chair Fernando. Deal with it.

 

       Opposite my desk is a small, black leather couch that just barely seats two. I have no intention of properly using it for the company it is intended for, but Erwin requires me to keep it there. A small blue, tan, and grey area rug is the only thing separating the couch and my desk and I'm grateful for the space. That way when Erwin drops in randomly I wouldn't be stuck talking directly to his face and be able to avoid his calculating eyes seemingly reading my soul like an open book.

 

       The only other "furniture" in the room is a massive fern that I keep near the window. It requires practically no care, I've only watered it once since acquiring it on my first day and it has yet to wilt. Eren stands on the rug looking out the window over the city while Petra makes herself comfortable on the couch with her titan doll clutched in her hands. The only sound for a few minutes is the shuffling of my papers as I organize them before slipping them smoothly into my sleek, black briefcase. 

 

       "How'd you get me out?" The question had been nagging at me ever since my escape. It seemed to be too big of a coincidence that he was there right when the elevator decided to work again; especially because the only place with my work address was in the computer at the daycare and he would've had to go through Armin to get the information needed.

 

        Eren waited until I had my briefcase latched up to answer. "I went to the front desk and mentioned it, turns out they never knew that the elevator had stopped working. Once I told them they immediately got on it." Eren seemed to fidget slightly as he confessed that he had come to my rescue. I couldn't be more grateful that he had come swooping in when he did. However, I've never been the best at expressing gratitude so my answer was strained and overall rather painful to hear, or at least I assumed so.

 

        "Yeah, uh, thanks for that, I guess." I clear my throat and attempt to make it seem as though it isn't that big of a deal. Eren appears to relax with my response, soothed by the idea that I'm unaware of his heroic action that was required of him to save me, the damsel in distress. Little does he know that I'm more than aware of the work he put into it.

 

        It wasn't until we had already stepped outside of the bank that we had spoken again. Petra had shifted back to holding my hand while we stood quietly in the elevator on the way down. Eren didn't seem bothered by it but I sensed that he rather enjoyed Petra's little hand in his large one.

 

* * *

 

 

        I was walking to my car and Eren was walking in the opposite direction to his when he suddenly whirled around.

 

       "Hey Levi!" I turned around to see that he was jogging towards me, his breath coming out in puffs clouds in the cold air. I wait patiently for him to catch up to me. "You can keep the sweater." On instinct, I lift the sleeve up to my nose and take a quick sniff. I smirk slightly, mainly pleased with the thought of having part of Eren, or at least his smell, with me at all times.

 

          I look up, prepared to thank him, and see that he had already disappeared. _He seems to have a habit of doing that..._

 

         I shrug it off and continue back to the car, eager to get out of the cold but also eager to cuddle up in Eren's sweater once more with a good book and a cup of tea in hand.

 

         Somewhere in the back of my mind, in the shadows and out of sight of my conscious mind, it was then that I knew that there was definitely something there. Not only that, but it seems as though it's not the end of the world I thought it would be, either. Of course, I wasn't made aware of that until much later.

 

 

     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time is nearing, I think maybe after the next update? Don't take my words to heart because I'm as in the dark as you guys are XD I hope you enjoyed, it definitely didn't turn out as bad as I expected. I did have to re-read and fix some of my transitions between present and past-tense (a bad habit of mine) but otherwise I think this came out pretty good. Thanks for reading!!


	11. Levi's Repayment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I end up switching POV's halfway through the chapter because I felt as though it helped to portray the overall message better. I don't usually do that but it felt kind of necessary here. Also, if you've gotten a bit lost about the time this is happening, it's about four months since Petra and Levi's arrival at the daycare, around early December.
> 
> (If you've been paying extra close attention you probably would've noticed that it was cold when Petra arrived and now it's five months later and it's only December; for the purpose of the story it's almost always cold XD I guess it's in northern U.S.? You can interpret however you want)

~Levi's POV~

 

     The place looked dark as I cupped my hands around my eyes to try to see through the glass. Only a few faint outlines were visible from within the daycare and none of them appeared human. With a grunt, I pull away from the window and whirl around with the intention to stomp to my car and return home. However, I take only one step forward and walk straight into something solid. I stumble slightly, disoriented by the sudden appearance of something that hadn't been there only moments before.

 

       "Woah there, you alright?" I nod my head and readjust my dull blue beanie back on my head. With a start, I realize that it was Eren I had run into.  _I knew that voice sounded familiar._

 

        "What are you doing here? You already picked up Petra and I just closed the place up." Eren shifts slightly to gesture to the closed sign that I had ignored on the window next to the door. I raise my gloved hand to face palm at my ignorance.

 

        "I left my sweater here earlier, but it's alright, you don't need to worry about it. I'll just get it tomorrooowww..." By the time I finished my sentence Eren was already inside with the light on looking for the sweater. I inwardly smile at Eren's selflessness in taking the time out of his day to return my sweater. He almost no doubt was looking forward to returning home and having time to himself, but he appeared to not have a second thought about putting that off for me. 

 

        I stand outside for a few more moments to assure myself that he was simply being polite and that it wasn't a special favor by any means. With a deep breath, I step inside to assist Eren in his search.

 

        The last place it had been was on the coat rack right beside the door, but it was completely empty of anything upon inspection. I move to look behind the desk while Eren wanders around the play area, looking in the toy boxes and under the tables and chairs. Instead of looking for my sweater, I take to skimming through the papers still laid out on the desk. Eren doesn't seem to notice that I had paused my searching and continues on, eager to please.

 

       With a swift flick of the chair, I take a seat and pull myself in to look at a particular paper that caught my attention. The envelope simply read "URGENT: Eren Jaeger." Most normal letters and bills don't appear that urgent, so it was rather odd to see that it wasn't open yet. I glance up over the counter to check that Eren is still busy, then rip into the envelope carefully and quietly. A single, folded piece of paper falls out from the envelope and under the desk. 

  

       I groan quietly and push the chair out to bend down and pick the paper up. Even with my arm fully extended my fingers were still a few inches from it. I scooch even further to the edge of the chair, trying my hardest to avoid coming in contact with the nasty floor.

 

       "Levi? What in the world are you doing?" Eren's voice betrays his attempt at containing his laughter at the ridiculous position he found me in. It probably looked as though I was imitating an ostrich sticking his head in the ground with my butt way up in the air. It's a good thing that my head was hidden or he would've caught my faint blush at being caught in such a compromising position.

 

        I clear my throat and straighten myself out, forgetting about the paper for the moment. "I was just, uh, removing the dust bunnies from under the desk." I pat my shirt down to smooth out the wrinkles and dust my pants off, despite them being spotless. Eren obviously doesn't believe me but he doesn't push me any further. Instead, he removes his hands from behind his back and holds out both arms, presenting the lost sweater to me.

 

        "Is this what you were looking for?" Eren smiles wide, already knowing my answer but eager to hear my surrender.

 

         Rather than giving him the pleasure of my defeat, I scoff at him as I pull the sweater over my head. His smell immediately takes over my senses and I give myself a few extra seconds putting it on to appreciate it. Once my head re-appears and my hands pop out of the sleeves, I remember about the letter below the desk. Eren seems oblivious to my nerves as he gives a quick summary of how he found it.

 

        "...So I looked everywhere until I remembered that you had helped me take the food out of the storage closet in the back. Sure enough, when I went back there your sweater was laying on one of the discarded boxes. It looked kind of sad and lonely, it's a good thing we found it when we did or it would have gotten depressed." Eren chuckles quietly, well aware of how little importance the animation of an inanimate object was to me. All the same he continued to develop a back story to the sweater up until this point in its timeline.

 

       "The sweater had already experienced loneliness enough throughout his high school days, when I had neglected to wear him. Sometimes poor Mr. Sweater would go months without seeing the light of day, doomed to live out his life in the shadows of my closet. But then high school ended and college came around the corner, along with football season. Eager to please, the sweater made many appearances at my football games, rooting for the team right along with me. It hadn't seen the bloodthirsty field of sports since his previous owner's college days when he had been a regularly worn article. But, now that Mr. Sweater's time with me is up he can finally have a proper owner he can count on to take of him...except for today, of course." Eren winked at me and I immediately punched him in the arm, playfully of course. Throughout the story we had both wandered outside and closed up the daycare once again for the day, this time for good.

 

        I hadn't noticed where we had been going until Eren stopped abruptly. "Shit..." I follow his gaze to where he was looking and mimic his reaction.

      

        "Shit...when did this happen?" I crouch down to inspect the oddly shaped tire of Eren's truck, leaving the front half leaning precariously to the right. I give the tire a quick flick and get no resistance by the completely flat piece of rubber. While still crouching, I look back up at Eren over my shoulder for his answer.

   

         "I-I dunno." Eren awkwardly scratches the back of his head as he stares at the tire with obvious distaste. I stand back up and tap it twice with the toe of my black combat boot.

 

         "Well, I could fix it...if only I had my stuff with me." Eren and I both stuff our hands in our pockets in unison, sighing out little clouds into the chilly air. We both stare at the tire blankly, Eren trying to reason why it ended up flat in the first place and me trying to decide if I could survive my next decision.

 

         "Perhaps it's from that pothole I ran over earlier today."

 

         "Do you want to catch a ride with me?" We both speak in unison, yet we still manage to understand what the other had said.

 

         "That's probably it."

 

         "Are you sure about that?" We speak in unison once again, accidentally of course, and still manage to catch the words.

 

         "Yeah." We manage to say the last one together in agreement. Eren chuckles softly once realizing how interesting the format of out conversation turned out to be. I let out a small huff, the equivalent of my laugh in the company of people I don't entirely trust quite yet.

 

          "Let's go." I start speed-walking to my car, waving to Eren over my shoulder to follow. By the sound of his converse shuffling through the dry, dead leaves I can tell that he is following. I reach the car head on, only shifting to the right last second to avoid collision. Eren heads straight the the passenger's side and climbs in, shutting the door right behind him. I follow suit, slower than Eren due to my seat-belt's habit of hanging out the door. 

 

          It's not until I'm pulling out of the parking spot that I realize how bad of an idea it had been from the start. There is no way I can survive a whole car ride with Eren sitting right next to me. My face feels heated at the thought of everything that could happen in the next twenty minutes. For the most part they were pretty unreasonable, but that doesn't stop my thoughts from going on a rampage.

 

* * *

 

 

~Eren's POV~

          I was just about to climb into my truck when I spotted Levi getting out of his car. There were only a few cars remaining in the parking lot, most of them there for the free parking and not for the daycare. It used to bother me but I eventually got used to the small annoyance. I watched, half in and half out my truck, as Levi looked into the daycare, presumably searching for something or someone. I wait a few moments to make sure it doesn't appear as though I was stalking him before heading over.

 

         I reach my hand out to tap Levi on the shoulder but stumble when he suddenly whirls around and walks straight into my chest. My instinct is to throw my arm out to steady him, but Levi immediately moves away after the impact and fixes himself up. I smile slightly when I see that Levi is no longer in his normal work attire, this is the first time that I get to see the casual Levi that Petra is more used to. He has a simple thin, black hoodie on and a pair of grey skinny jeans stuffed into black combat boots. His head is covered by a dull blue beanie that almost matches his eyes, whether intentional or not. With a second glance I notice that there is the slightest hint of a green and blue flannel sticking out from under the hoodie.

 

         "Woah there, you alright?" My reaction had been automatic, putting me on auto-pilot while my subconscious admired Levi's choice of clothing for his outing. Levi nods slightly and shifts his beanie back into place, tucking a few loose strands back into place.

 

           "What are you doing here? You already picked up Petra and I just closed the place up." I return to full awareness once I feel satisfied with my admiration over a casual Levi. I point lazily to the 'CLOSED' sign hanging on the window beside the door. Levi follows my finger to where I'm pointing and face palms. I recognize him to most likely be feeling like the stupidest person ever. After all, I do know that feeling all too well, especially from being around Armin so often. 

 

           "I left my sweater here earlier, but it's alright, you don't need to worry about-" I didn't pay attention to the second half of what he said, already inside and looking. I glance at the coat rack on my way in, my first thought that it could be there. I see that it's not there and pause to consider the other possible places it could've ended up.  _Aha..._ I jog over to the toy box and practically rip the top off to check inside. I shuffle the toys around a bit but come up empty. I move onto the other toy boxes but also come up empty. I take a quick peek under the tables and chairs, then move onto the hidden portion of the daycare. 

 

           I first check the bathrooms and break room, not having a clue where else to search. While I look, I try to recall our conversation when he had come in to pick Petra up. I suddenly jerk to a stop and pivot quickly, setting off at a speedy pace to the storage closet. I recalled Levi coming to the back to help me grab some cereal boxes to prepare for the next day. Aside from right in front of the door, that has been pretty much the only place Levi has ever been.

 

           When I reach the playroom again, I slow my trot down to a standstill as I scan the room to figure out where Levi is. After a few moments with no clues to where he could be, I hear a quiet grunt from behind the desk. With a smirk, I wander over there until I'm standing directly in front of it.

 

          Expecting to see Levi's face, you can imagine the surprise when instead I'm met with his butt. I can't help but be amused by the turn of events.

 

          "Levi, what in the world are you doing?" The laughter taints my voice quite clearly, but I play it off the best I can. Levi appears above the desk and frowns.

 

           I can hardly focus on what he says, I think something about dust bunnies, because I notice that his beanie had been set askew from his adventures on the floor. At first it doesn't seem like anything too out of the ordinary, but as I look closer I see some kind of marking peeking out from behind his ear. It's absolutely impossible to determine what it could be, but I have no doubt in my mind that it's a tattoo. 

 

          Levi, despite his cold exterior and demeanor, was the last person I expected to have a tattoo. Because of this new discovery, I become more excited to learn about this mysterious being seated before me. First step: return the sweater.

 

         I hold it out to him and drawl out a long story about the sweater's sad story, hoping to bore him into leaning his head on his hand to give me a better view behind his ear. By the end we are both somehow outside, Levi to my right and the tattoo on the other side. I'm left to chuckle quietly at my foolish hope of it working.

 

         As I go to walk around to the driver's side and leave, I realize that something is definitely wrong with my front tire.  _Really? A flat tire?_

 

        "Shit..." Levi shifts his gaze to look where I'm looking and repeats after me, somehow with more disappointment than I had. After a bit of talking, we decide that I can catch a ride with Levi. Something about that made my heart skip a little beat, but I thought nothing of it as I climbed into his van and buckled up.

 

         As we pulled out of the lot I noticed a shift in the atmosphere of the car, it seemed as though it suddenly grew thick and heavy. I certainly didn't expect the ride to be filled with sing-along songs and conversations about puppies and kittens, but it took me by surprise how strained it seemed. I glanced over at Levi as an attempt to see his tattoo but I was met with disappointment when I saw that he had fixed his beanie at some point. Now that the tattoo is hidden from view, I'm left with my own form of entertainment: thinking.

 

        And think I did. The whole ride was just me and my thoughts; and Levi of course but he remained as silent as I did. During those twenty minutes I came to terms with my feelings towards Levi. I really had to push some of my boundaries and step out of my comfort zone to admit it, but I think I finally decided that I have feelings for Levi. It wasn't quite as hard as it may have been, considering that I was already aware of my attraction to men. Despite that hurdle already being jumped, it was still a big step to admit it to myself. I've only been in one other relationship and it got way too serious way too fast. 

 

        Once I admitted that I liked Levi, my only other option left to think about was how I could reveal it. It certainly couldn't be some half-assed on the fly speech, Levi didn't seem like that kind of guy. With just me and my thoughts, I hatched a plan that would hopefully be carried out within the next month.

 

* * *

 

 

~Levi's POV~

         It was during the long ride that I devised my plan on how to reveal my feelings for Eren. I had come to terms with it the night before and let me say it was the best and worst sleep I've had in a long time. After admitting it I knew that I would have to take action soon or I would go crazy trying to hold it in. I fell asleep before ever getting the chance to truly think about it. Since Eren seemed just as determined as I to stay quiet, I took the opportunity to plan everything to the last detail. If all went well, within the next month everything would be out on the table and hopefully work for the better, fingers crossed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, at one point maybe a quarter of the way through something happened and everything was deleted with no way of getting it back. I nearly gave up but I persevered and rewrote it just for you guys, SO YOU BETTER BE ENJOYING THIS. (Just kidding...maybe...)
> 
> If you remember the beginning, you already know whose plan ends up being played out. You know what this means? CONFESSION TIME!


	12. Confession Tingles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm finally back and ready to update! This chapter is on the shorter side because I've had a few busy days but I plan on doing something special soon. To be honest, I don't know exactly what it will be, but I feel like you guys truly deserve something nice so I'll figure it out. Back to Levi's POV!

    The chill of the cool air can't even compare to the cold I feel inside from my nerves. I spent the whole morning trying to calm myself down and stop my anxious jitters, yet nothing seemed to help. 

 

     When I had gone to my closet to pick out my clothes for the day, the first thing that caught my eye was Eren's sweater. When I got home the night before, the sweater had been practically drenched in the rain and I hung it up to dry. Normally I would put in the washer and dryer, but I was worried that it would take Eren's scent out of it. It's definitely different than my typical reaction, but nothing seems to be quite normal when it comes to Eren and his gorgeous- uh- nice eyes.

 

     By the time Petra and I were heading out the door, my nerves were nearly to the point of making me physically shake. Petra didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary as we pulled out and onto the road.

 

     I let my memory take over and drive while I dive deep into my subconscious mind, trying to ease my worry. The past few weeks had been filled with stifling uneasiness, almost as though we were both aware of the coming event; although I have no doubt in my mind that Eren couldn't possibly know. I had taken all the caution possible to ensure that he remains clueless about my adoration over him. Five months doesn't seem like a very long time in retrospect but it definitely seemed longer to me, with the daily torture that Eren had unknowingly put me through.

 

      When I pull up into the daycare, I practically have to peel myself out of the car to unbuckle Petra. Now I actually _do_ begin to shake, propelling me to avoid Petra's innocent gaze for the time being. There's no doubt in my mind that she would begin to ask questions if she saw, being the inquisitive little one she is. 

 

      Petra thankfully starts toward the door as soon as I have her unbuckled and out of the car, allowing me to take my time and convince myself that all would go well. With a shaking hand, I pull the door open and step inside.

 

      My gaze immediately falls on Eren and suddenly all of my nerves dissipate. My shaking settles and my heart rate returns to a normal pace as I move further into the daycare. I forget to remove my coat at the door but remain too preoccupied with my goal to notice as Eren's eyes meet my own.

 

      Eren doesn't appear to have a problem with leaving his position, being that it's still early in the day. He makes a straight path to us, taking care to avoid the toys. "Hey Petra! How are you doing today?" Eren crouches down to Petra's level and smiles wide.

   

      "Fabuwous!" Petra replies, gripping her Titan Doll tight to her chest.

   

      "Carter is over with the blocks." Eren already knows just who she wants to see. Petra grins up at Eren and gallops over to Carter to sit down and build a tower with him. The two had gradually grown closer and closer since Petra's first day there.

   

     As soon as Eren is standing tall again, I drag him over in the opposite corner of the children to talk. Normally we stand near the door to chat, however, this time the matter seems much more personal and deserves a private area away from prying eyes and ears.

   

    "Why are we over here?" Eren cocks his hips and crosses his arms over his chest, eyeing me curiously. For some reason Eren seems much more comfortable than he had been recently, giving me a bit more confidence to follow through. I bite my lip quickly in silence, contemplating my options. I had come in with a straight forward plan to verbally confess, but now that I'm here, it doesn't seem like nearly enough.

       

     I look straight up at Eren and make direct eye contact before grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him forward to put our lips together. My heart suddenly begins to race at finally feeling the softness of the lips I had been day-dreaming about for months. We both remain still for a moment, simply soaking up the pressure of something new yet vaguely familiar. Then Eren is the first to respond, tilting his head slightly to the left and applying more pressure. I lean my head the other way and return it, my heart nearly pounding out of my chest.

     

     "I HAVE TWO DADDYS!!" Suddenly Petra's shriek breaks our private moment and sends Eren stumbling backwards into the wall in surprise. My eyes widen exponentially as I turn my head to look at Petra standing with her doll hanging out of her hand, Carter slightly behind her. I swallow roughly to try to give myself time to clear my head. Without much of another option, I kneel down and grab Petra's shoulder, attempting to make her understand this interesting predicament.

   

      "No, Petra, you see-" I struggle to figure out something that wouldn't hurt Petra but would get her to understand the situation at hand. The two of us had absolutely no time to talk it through and I don't want to risk pushing him into something he doesn't want.

     

      "Daddy, it's okay! I like Ewren!" Petra's eyes gleam with excitement as she looks up at Eren standing back in the corner, blush absolutely covering his cheeks. Eren gives both Petra and I a sheepish smile and shrugs when I raise my eyebrow at him. In all honesty I didn't expect Eren to be the flustered time, he always comes across as bold and confident. Then again, I caught him rather off-guard...

 

      I glance at Petra, then Eren, then back at Petra again as I sigh and stand up. Something about Eren's eyes gave me the feeling that he knew more than I did. With that information in mind, I decide to throw him under the bus. I mean, he runs a daycare, he should  _definitely_ know more about kids than I do.

     

     "Eren, explain." I grab Eren by the elbow and shove him towards Petra, unable to properly communicate with such Petra, being as young as she is, about something as complicated and mature as this. Eren stumbles slightly and glares playfully at me, his cheeks still dusted a light pink.  _Am I blushing too? Hmm..._

 

      "You know, that actually doesn't sound too bad, right Levi?" I know that I'm blushing now with the way my cheeks are heating up and my heart feeling as though it's going to burst. It looks like my move worked after all. 

 

      I feel tempted to snap at Eren, frustrated with the way even the simplest things he does makes my heart beat faster than should be humanly possible. I've never had a feeling this strong and in all honesty it feels as though I'm having a constant heart attack. On a daily basis I rarely feel more than a faint flutter of a heart beat, but Eren's eyes and laugh and smell and the taste of his lips and the feel of his hair and his existence and...

   

     "YAY!! A FULL FAMIWYY!!" Petra jumps up and down and claps her hands, resurfacing me from my thoughts going on an Eren rampage. Eren and I make eye contact, Eren flashing me a light smile that nearly sends me into cardiac arrest. Something seems to click in that moment; maybe we can work, after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would've liked to carry it on through Eren's POV, but duty calls. Would you guys like the next chapter to be Eren's POV on through their first "date" or their first "date" and the reveal on the meaning of Eren/Levi's sweatshirt from Levi's POV? Let me know! Until Wednesday :D


	13. Butterfly Fly Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a refresher, with this chapter I begin by recalling the confession with Eren's POV (as requested.) If you want to re-read the last chapter, it's Chapter 15:"Confession Tingles". After Eren's recollection I move on to talk about an interesting trip the daycare takes; if that's more what you're looking forward to. That information being given, if you want to skip the first part it won't ruin the story. I know you guys are probably pretty excited to finally move on ;) There's certainly some fluff here!

"Why are we over here?" I bite my lip quickly while Levi's back is still turned away from me as a soothing method. This could be the moment that everything either goes as planned or down the drain; I have almost no doubt that it's a make or break deal. As an attempt to put off a cool air, hopefully as though everything is fine, I cross my arms and cock my hips in a mildly curious pose. I raise my eyebrow in curiosity as an afterthought, hoping it doesn't appear clumsy.

 

I meet his eyes and quickly realize that he is far too lost in thought to even notice my actions. It eases me slightly to know that no matter how big a fail it may have been, none of it got through to him. However, now my attention is drawn to what Levi could possibly be thinking about. I watch his face quietly and intently and soon get rewarded with a small bite of the lip. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but someone biting their lip is probably the biggest turn-on I have.

 

With a little surge of willpower, I slide my eyes from his mouth upwards. I blink in surprise, seeing how blown his pupils are and his eyes half-lidded. With a jolt I realize he's moving closer to me, his arm reaching around behind me.

 

My breathing grows quicker when his hand latches to the back of my neck and moves me down closer to his face. A split second before we meet, time seems to slow down as we both close our eyes and the infinitesimally small space between us closes.

 

Our lips touch and instantly my heart feels like it's going to explode; his lips are soft beyond compare and seem to fit perfectly with mine. In my moment of pure bliss, I realize that neither of us has moved since contact. With a burst of bravery, I tilt my head slowly to the side and gently press forward. Levi responds almost immediately and makes my heart burst with joy. The long awaited months boiled down to the perfect unanimous confession of our affection to each other.

 

In that moment I couldn't have been more relieved. Well...until-

 

"I HAVE TWO DADDYS!!!" Petra's shriek startles me and sends me stumbling backward into the wall. My back hits it with a soft thud, but I pay it no mind. Rather, my attention is set on the curious exchange happening between father and daughter.

 

From months of surveying their relationship, I can sense that this is an area that Levi has yet to cover with Petra. I watch Levi's mouth move as he attempts an explanation, but I can tell he's struggling for something appropriate for her. Petra responds brightly, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she looks directly at me.

 

The trust and hope Petra's innocent eyes shoot in my direction causes my cheeks to redden more than they already were. Levi turns his head to read my reaction and I sheepishly smile; shrugging my shoulders lightly. Levi glances back and forth between Petra and me, the gears in his head turning with thought.

 

Suddenly, he grabs my elbow and nudges me to Petra. "Eren, explain." I stumble over my own feet and send a playful glare back at Levi, aware of the warmth still settled in my cheeks. 

 

I look quickly at Petra, then back at Levi with a smile. "You know, that actually doesn't sound too bad, right Levi?"

 

A series of emotions flashes through his eyes, barely readable to the untrained eye.

 

"YAY!! A FULL FAMIWYY!!" Petra jumps up and down and claps her hands excitedly. However, Levi and I are far too caught up in each other's eager gazes to really notice. It's in that moment that something really seems to click; maybe we can work, after all.

 

 ~~~

 

Not even ten minutes into the trip and I'm already beginning to second-guess my decision. The kids scream and laugh loudly in the back of the van as we move downtown in the slow traffic. I take care to flicker my eyes back and forth between the road and the kids in the back to make sure they're alright and not getting into trouble.

 

"Stop worrying so much, Eren, it's not like they're going to set fire to something." Levi's solid and reassuring voice cuts through my worry-induced haze. I glance at him to catch a tiny reassuring smile and smile reflexively in response. 

 

Levi had taken today off to assist us on the field trip. The rest of the daycare employees, of course, tagged along with the trip. Levi was mostly there for Petra, or at least that's what I believe. With all the glances he keeps shooting at me I'm coming to believe that maybe his sights were set for something (or someone) else.

 

The traffic moves at a crawl, sending the children into a flurry of loud anticipation. I had grown used to it after a few months, however, Levi is a different case.

 

"Hey, kids! How about we sing the alphabet!!" I shout over the shrieks coming from the back seat and earn a chorus of agreement. With a few flicks of my finger, I count us down into a version of what could barely be called the alphabet. However, it seems as though the entertainment calmed them down greatly and cut back on the obnoxious noise level.

 

Once the last few voices die down, the sound in the van lowers to a few whispered giggles and comments about the passing cars and people. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a small appreciative look from Levi. My smile widens slightly in recognition and the van continues to crawl forward.

 

~~~

 

After a year-long car ride, the crew finally reaches their destination. The whole of the daycare, maybe around forty kids, was split between six vehicles rented for the day. Our van was the first to arrive, but the rest arrived very shortly after. As the kids were slowly unbuckled, one by one they poured out of the vehicles and wandered over to where Armin was standing, patiently checking off each child's name as they arrived.

 

Levi helps Petra out of the van and closes the final door, leading her over to where Armin waits with the rest of the clue. I lag behind, slightly due to the excessive amount of bags for food and diapers, but also to catch the back view of Levi. In all honesty, I wasn't disappointed.

 

I catch up with the back of the group in time to hear Armin confirm that everyone was present and accounted for.

 

With that in mind, I march to the front and wave for the rest to follow. "Into the (indoor) Zoo we go!"

 

The children burst into cheers and march behind me, some trying to swoop around the front to lead. I manage to catch most of the rebels, but Annie manages to slip past and through the gates ahead of me. Sighing, I whirl around and stop the group in their tracks. My eyes scan the edge of the group, searching for Levi.

 

My eyes lock onto him and I raise my bag-laden arms as a message to come and help me. With a curt nod, he gently lets go of Petra's hand and comes to help. He removes all of the bags from my right arm and most from my left. I set the last one on the ground and take off after Annie, confident in Levi to relay the message to Armin.

 

I circle the monkey exhibit and trot past the bears, frantically searching for Annie. 

 

"Annie! Annie!" I call out for her, circling slowly to look in as many places at once as possible.

 

"Annie? Ann-" It's then that I spot her near an exhibit the opposite direction I had gone when I entered the Zoo. I calmly walk over to Annie, simply relieved to have found her before anything could've hurt her.

 

"Annie, you can't go running off like th-AAAH!" I jump back and stick my arms out in karate-like defense, staring eye to eye with the wild animal in the cage.

 

Annie begins chuckling, the first time I've heard thus far, and draws the attention of Levi who had just recently entered with the rest of the group. I maintain my defensive position, still in shock. Levi follows my eyes to land on the lion sitting innocently behind the glass of the cage. 

 

He bursts out laughing, just as Annie had. I must admit, I rather like the sound of his laughter. It's very unique, likely because of the rarity it occurs and the little usage it gets. I purposely hold myself still a bit longer to really appreciate his laughter before letting my hands drop. I stick my tongue out mockingly and fold my arms, a little embarrassed to have been caught.

 

"Ha, scaredy-cat!" Levi smirks wisely, fully aware of the beautiful pun that came spewing forth from his mouth. I can't help but drop my jaw at the wonderous surprise; for there is nothing that I love more in this world than puns. I believe that it was at that point that I began to fall...  _hard._

 

 _"_ Hey Eren, Levi, come over and look at the pandas!" Armin waves us over excitedly, his eyes aglow like a child's. I stick my tongue out once more at Levi and march over proudly with Annie trailing behind alongside Levi. I join at the back of the group and follow silently, appreciating the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' rising from the children with each new animal.

 

I don't realize Levi's presence until his breathy voice is flowing over and to my ear. "When's lunchtime?" I shiver slightly, his voice sending shockwaves down my spine. I swallow hard to rid of the sudden butterflies that had risen from inside.

 

I lean over and whisper my response in his ear. "Why, you hungry?" 

 

Immediately he turns his head so we're cheek to cheek and whispers very quietly to avoid being overheard. "Yeah, a piece of your cake sounds good right about now."

 

My face flushes bright and I pull away in disbelief. Levi winks and turns his head to look at the alligators in mild interest with a smirk ghosting over his lips. His very kissable lips, may I add. 

 

I've known that I have slowly been falling more and more for Levi in the last three weeks, but ever since he began the puns I couldn't be more certain that he must be the one for me.

 

With this new piece of knowledge bombarding my mind, an animal-like need for proper communication with Levi begins to take over my thoughts. I think about it for a bit and decide to approach him during lunch while the children are distracted enough by their food. And, of course, the daycares staff is more than capable for handling them.

 

But when lunchtime rolls around, I can't seem to find Levi anywhere. All of the children sit scattered around at the cafeteria tables with apples and juice boxes laid in front of each, pb&j sandwiches grasped between their eager fingers. I tap Armin on the shoulder and let him know I'll be out for a walk, hopefully to run into Levi.

 

I find him sooner than expected but certainly not where I thought he would be. Hesitantly, I nudge the door open and step into the warm, moist climate. Levi stands facing forward with his thumbs tucked in his pockets and head tilted back.

 

I stay near the door, a little nervous about approaching Levi in the calm state he appears to be in.  After a few minutes of silence, I finally build enough courage to stand beside him. He remains in the same position and I realize that his eyes are closed.

 

 _Wait a second...his eyes are closed!_ In the space of 0.2 seconds I formulate a plan. Okay, maybe not a plan, it's more like a dangerous dive off the edge into the unknown. But in that short amount of time, I don't think about any consequences and just go with what my heart wants me to do.

 

With the feel of my lips on his, he slowly tilts his head down and to the side to willingly accept his fate, keeping his eyes closed. With the ease he accepts it, I assume that he had known of my presence since coming through the door. He was probably waiting for me from the start, now that I think about it. I don't mind, of course, now that our lips are locked together comfortably.

 

Somehow my hands find their way around his waist and rest comfortably in the small of his back. Levi loosely throws his arms over my shoulders and rises to his tip-toes to reach me easier. A small sigh escapes my lips with the comfort that comes from Levi's tender touches.

 

Levi is the first to break away. He meets my eyes with a soft gaze and smiles lightly. "You know, I never asked you out on a proper date."

 

"That's alright, this is more than enough for me." I lean in and capture his lips in another gentle kiss, but pull away a little quicker than the last one. "But why a Butterfly Garden?"

 

Levi smirks and leans in close to me, just enough for his lips to brush over mine. "Some things aren't meant to be known, not yet." Shivers shoot straight down my spine as our lips meet once more, no more words needing to be exchanged to get the message clear: with no doubt in either of our minds, we are _officially_ a couple.

 

~~~

 

Just as we are about to leave, a butterfly comes to rest gently on Levi's finger. The wings flash blue and grey, highly reminiscent of Levi's eyes, almost eerily so. Levi flicks his eyes back at me in a nearly-sultry way and gently blows on the butterfly's wings to set if afloat again. The image sticks with me clearly, for that moment was the first of many instances in which my heart completely stopped and my lungs ceased to work; solely because of Levi's pure and genuine beauty that only a God could have put here.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno about you guys but I feel like my writing has improved a bit after my break. It may have to do with being able to read a few books with my random moments of spare time. Well, thank goodness we're back to regular updates! Until Saturday :D 
> 
> Oh, and I think I have an idea for what to do as an extra special thank you. However, in order to do so, I need as many cheesy pickup lines as I can get. So throw them at me, peoples! XD (Thanks in advance ^^)


	14. About That Sweater...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Levi's POV, you finally get to find out the whole sweater deal and a bit of Eren's past. :D

I walk- no, strut- into work early Monday morning, head held high and briefcase in hand. Typically people are slightly intimidated by me because of my semi-threatening presence. However, today a few people glance my direction and flash me a small smile. At first I was quite startled and unsure how to react, but after the fourth or fifth smile I began to smile back.

 

The only reason I feel this good is because of Eren. Oh, sweet, sweet caring, beautiful, lovely, fantastic-

 

"Garbage, that's what this is!" I suddenly stop in my tracks, just before I slam into Captain America. His face appears calm, the only sign of his anger being his furrowed caterpillars and the echoing of his voice off the walls. I try to swerve my way around the negative exchange but get caught mid-way.

 

"Levi, what do you think of this?" With a sigh, my chipper smile and promenade diminishes as I turn around and return to my previous spot.

 

"Think of what, sir?" Erwin hands me a stack of papers full of graphs and numbers, so dizzying that I have to look away. "What about it, sir?" I try to hand the papers back to him, but he pushes them back to me, pointing to something at the top.

 

"Look. At. That." I bring the page closer to read the small print and almost burst out laughing. Whoever was responsible for typing up the reports had written, well...

 

"Fun Fact: Captain America feeds his caterpillars three times a day." The poor soul must have done it for money since that seems to be the only motive anyone has nowadays. I look up at Erwin to respond, but he cuts me off just as I begin to open my mouth.

 

"That's not true, I feed them four times a day!!" Erwin holds a straight and angry face for so long I begin to think he was serious about it. Finally he eases into a smile and chuckles lightly, taking the papers back. I stand in the middle of the lobby for a bit, confused and dazed. _What just happened...?_

 

After thinking it through, I decide it's not worth my time and shrug it off. With a skip in my step once again, I head toward the elevators. No one in sight, I lean forward to press the button but stop with my finger hovering centimeters over it. I contemplate my options, then swivel on my heels and bound toward the staircase, prepared to go all 12 flights up.

 

I yank the door open and fly up the stairs, skipping every other one. By the time I reach the sixth floor I'm panting slightly but still intact. However, upon reaching the top I'm gasping for air, leaning on my knees for support. My adrenaline only got me so far, I was beginning to think I would never make it.

 

I straighten myself out a bit and make sure my tie is in place, then open the door and head to my office with the same stride as before, only a little quicker. 

 

I shut the door to my office and collapse on the couch, tossing my briefcase carelessly on the floor. Any other day I would've carefully set it on my desk and taken a seat on Fernando, but today felt different, more carefree. I throw my arm behind my head and kick my feet up, staring at the blank grey ceiling above me. I'm not sure how long I was there, but it was long enough for cramps to start forming in my legs.

 

I move to stand up, setting my feet on the ground and angling my hands to give my a good boost off the couch.

 

"Levi? What are you doing?" Erwin stands in my doorway, eyeing me with obvious curiosity. He had never seen me go anywhere near the couch, let alone lay down on it.

 

"Just, uh, admiring the view." I attempt a smile and gesture to the large window, not realizing that today was a cloudy and dark day.

 

Erwin chuckles softly. "Okay then, well I was wondering if I would be able to meet with you in my office for lunch later this afternoon?" 

 

"Of course sir, what time?" I grab my briefcase and swing it up onto my desk, unlatching it silently.

 

"How about 1:30?" Erwin already begins to leave the room, certain of my answer.

 

"Sure thing, see you then." I flick my hand quickly as a goodbye without a second look and begin to catch up on the work I had missed while lounging around. 

 

It isn't long before I'm back into my regular work mode, typing at a lightning speed to respond to missed emails and write up new reports. The time flies in a blink of an eye and I'm suddenly rushing to his office with a skimpy caesar salad in hand. I nudge the door open at 1:40, ten minutes late to the meeting.

 

"Sorry I'm late sir, I was caught up in-"

 

"Yes, yes, of course Levi, I understand. Come, take a seat." Erwin forks another mouthful of lettuce into his mouth, gesturing to the seat opposite him at the table in the corner. I set my salad down on the table and take a seat, unfolding my napkin and laying it across my lap.

 

The first few minutes are filled with silence as we eat, occasionally taking a drink of water or dabbing our mouths with a napkin. I begin to think that perhaps he called me down to simply have another body in the room with him as he ate.

 

I finish my salad before Erwin and sit uncomfortably, trying to find somewhere to look aside from his caterpillars. I finally settle on the vacant building across the street, looking at the broken windows and 'For Lease' sign hanging on the rusted mailbox. I can't seem to figure out why the city won't permit the clearing of the building, seeing as no one uses it.  _I bet there's a bunch of squatters in there. I wonder how many, twenty? Thirty? Or maybe a gang-_

 

"So, Levi, I wanted to talk to you about something." I shift my gaze from the squatter-paradise to the caterpillars to Erwin's blue eyes looking at me fairly intently. I look back at him, accepting his look as a challenge.

 

"What might that be, sir?"

 

"Your sweater." It catches me off guard, being that I'm not wearing the sweater today and he's only mentioned it one other time.

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"I know your sweater from somewhere, I figured you might want to know from where." Erwin leans back in his chair, casually resting his arms on the sides of the chair.

 

I watch him silently, mocking an 'are you kidding me' look. _How would he know anything about it? And why would I want to know?_

 

"And where might that be?" I abandon calling him sir, forgetting the formalities out of growing curiosity.

 

"You see, when I was in high school I was on the football team."  _That seems irrelevant, but okay..._ "The best player of the team was known as 'Jaeger-Bomb' and everyone wanted to be his friend. I was quite lucky to have the chance to know him." Erwin goes silent for a minute, reminiscing, most likely.

 

"When I saw your sweater I knew something about it seemed familiar, and now I know. That sweater belonged to him, no doubt. All of the tears and markings are in the exact same place. You know that green splotch on the front of the collar? That was from his first tackle, we weren't even in uniform yet and he went after a guy that had said something to make him mad. That was the day that I first met him, too."

 

I stare at Erwin blankly, confused and wondering what in the world it had to do with me. And how did I get this guy's sweater? 

 

"He got married and had a son, but shortly after his birth he left him and was never seen again. As far as I know, that sweater was the only thing he left behind, most likely by accident. I know that since I still have close contact with his wife, Carla. Don't worry, I'm not a stalker." His rumbling chuckle fills the room, then dies down quickly as he leans forward once again. "The question is, though, how did  _you_ get it?"

 

I blink numbly, still processing his words. Once my brain is all caught up, I finally respond for the first time since he began. "Eren Jaeger...Eren gave it to me." I whisper the last part, not intent on sharing the whole story about it with Erwin.

 

He snaps his fingers and smiles. "That's his name. Now how did that come about?" I feel my cheeks heat up slightly and I lower my eyes, embarrassed to admit my relationship. "Oh... nevermind, forget I asked." Erwin pushes his chair back and stands to open the door for me. "Well, it was nice having lunch with you, have a good day." He smiles brightly and nods his farewell, shutting the door behind me.

 

Little did I know that inside his office, Erwin was dialing up Hanji to let her know that she lost the bet and that he would be $20 richer soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two options from here: pure fluff or angst to fluff? Let me know!
> 
> And I'm also still looking for any cheesy pick-up lines, please send me some more!
> 
> Until Wednesday ^3^


	15. Swing To The Rhythm of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late! My wifi went down yesterday :/
> 
> The beginning is pretty rough but once it gets to the real romantic fluff stuff it gets a lot better. I was just desperate to get to the fluff so the "plot" is pretty quick and boring :P
> 
> While I was writing this, "Your Body Is A Wonderland" began playing on my iPod and I had to repeatedly remind myself that it's FLUFF. Pure FLUFF.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

I tap my fingers on the steering wheel nervously in time to the steady bass of the song. To which song, I have not a clue, my mind is far too occupied to pay attention to little details like that. My eyes are settled on the door to Eren's apartment complex, waiting for him to come bursting out any second. My heart is nearly in my throat thinking about the date and hoping it's alright with him; I secretly planned a date for us but didn't tell him anything about it. As far as he knows, we're just going on a trip to the playground with Petra.

 

I glance at the basket resting in the backseat to once again ensure its safety, then open my car door and step out. I straighten my jacket and readjust my beanie, battling with the one piece of hair that can't decide which side to stay on. Eventually, I give up and allow it to fall straight down the middle, all the way to the bridge of my nose.

 

I step inside the complex and immediately head for the elevator. After the previous experience with stairs, I've vowed to give myself time to recover before another attempt. I tap my foot impatiently as I watch the number above the elevator slowly go down as it descends. The doors finally ding open for me, allowing me to enter and ascend to Eren's floor.

 

The elevator stops at his floor and I step out, taking an immediate right and heading to the end. I plant my feet firmly on the ground outside his door and raise my hand to knock with a deep breath. It's the first time that I've ever actually gone to his apartment; before this the furthest I've gotten is outside the building while I dropped him off after our “date.”

 

Just as my knuckles make contact with the door, it swings open to reveal Eren fiddling with the key in the lock. I chuckle softly while watching him struggle, still oblivious to my presence. He grunts and grumbles nonsense for a bit, then finally proclaims his success with a satisfied sigh. Eren ruffles his hair a bit and tucks the keys in his coat pocket. It's only after patting himself down to reassure that he has all of his necessary belongings that he finally raises his head and spots me. I smirk and lean against the door frame casually, enjoying Eren's shocked expression.

 

“Slowpoke.” I rise up on my tip-toes and give him a quick peck on the cheek, not giving him the opportunity to respond. “Come on, let's go.” With that, I shut the door, grab his hand, and pull him down the hallway to the elevator already waiting for us.

 

He drags his feet slightly, presumably still confused as to why I was at his apartment and not with Petra in the car. I lead him into the tiny elevator and press the button for the ground floor, allowing him time to straighten his scrambled thoughts out. Well, not straighten, 'cause honey, Eren is hella gay, but you get the idea.

 

“Petra?” Eren only manages to get a single word out by the time we leave the elevator.

 

I grab his hand tightly in mine and pull him up to walk beside me. “Change of plans.” I feel it's too soon to reveal my true goal, so I give him a vague answer for the time being. Eren seems to accept my answer pretty quickly and settles into a content silence as I pull him toward the car.

 

Being the gentleman I am, I step in front of him and hold the door open to allow him to get in the passenger seat. Satisfied, I walk around the front of the car and get in the drivers seat to start us up. The radio resumes playing, this time a calmer song with guitar somewhere in the background. My nerves begin to dissipate as we pull out onto the road, Eren's soothing presence and the song's gentle nature getting the better of them.

 

“Hey, Levi?”

 

“Mhmm?”

 

“Where are we going?”

 

I can't help but smile and look at the basket hidden in the backseat in the rearview mirror. “You'll see when we get there.”

 

“But I wanna know...” Eren gently traces random shapes on the back of my hand settled on the armrest between us.

 

“Mm mm mm, not yet.” I allow myself to melt under Eren's gentle touch as we continue to move towards our destination. As we get closer, my heart races once again in anticipation. I catch myself glancing in Eren's direction to read his expression, looking for any kind of recognition or realization of my plans. However, his face remains nothing but blissfully happy, the same way it had been upon entering the car.

 

I can't decide if I'm relieved by that or not, but it's importance is diminished when we pull into a parking spot against the curb of the public park. I put the car into park and remove the keys, the music dying down along with the car. I look at Eren out of the corner of my eye while doing so, certain that he must realize my intention by now. However, he still seems innocently ignorant, looking out the window and smiling at something in the distance.

 

"Eren? You coming?" I interrupt Eren's daydreaming with the slam of my door, smirking at his little hiccup of surprise.

 

"Oh- oh, yeah, of course." Eren grabs the handle of the door and pushes it open, taking his sweet time. I watch him move tantalizingly slow, hiding the picnic basket behind me to the best of my ability.

 

He skirts around the car with his hands in his pockets and comes to a stop right in front of me. "So what are we doing?" His eyes stay locked with mine, cutting the basket out of his view.

 

"Oh, come on Eren, look where we are! See what I have?" I gently shove the basket into Eren's arms, mildly frustrated with his ignorance but oddly entertained by it at the same time.

 

"Why are we at the park? And what is th- ooooh, sandwiches!" Eren reaches his hand inside the basket eagerly. I just barely manage to slap it away before he grabs one.

 

He gives me puppy dog eyes and makes a comically large frown. "Ouchie, that hurt, meanie."

 

I try to bite back my laughter, but instead it comes out in a little hiccup hidden behind my hand. Eren pretends to not notice, but I can tell he did by the way his eyebrow raised slightly at the curious sound. I grab the basket out of his hands and whirl around, setting course for the most distant tree, leaving Eren in the dust.

 

Or at least, I thought I did. Suddenly he whizzes past me with a childish giggle and runs to the tree, slapping it with the palm of his hand. I arrive almost a whole minute later to a laughing Eren.

 

"Ha ha, beat you! Na na na na, who's the slowpoke now?" 

 

"No fair, I had the basket." I set the said basket on the ground next to the tree roots and stick my tongue out at Eren. He simply smiles wide in response and watches as I lay out the blanket carefully, smoothing out the edges. I nod after a few seconds of inspection, signaling for Eren to take a seat with the basket. He complies and sits down cross-legged opposite me, immediately diving for the sandwiches.

 

After he grabs his own sandwich, he hands me the other one and sets the basket off to the side. We sit almost completely alone, the temperature still a bit too chilly for most people. 

 

We sit silently eating our sandwiches, stealing quick glances at one another.

 

"Tho, whath thith fow?" Eren looks up at me through his eyelashes as he swallows the last bite of his sandwich. My heart flutters lightly with the way his gaze appears through his luscious- that's right, luscious- eyelashes.

 

I take care to swallow my food before speaking. I may be having a basic caveman picnic, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't be polite and proper. "I just thought we might want to go for a  _real_ first date." Eren blushes softly and looks at me in admiration, his chin resting on his interlocked fingers.

 

"Aww, that's sweet. You're sweet, Levi, you know that?" Eren tilts his head to the side and smiles wide, drawing a tiny one out of me.

 

"You're such a sappy romantic, Eren." The tone of my voice suggests it disgusts me, but in reality I think that Eren may be making me a sappy romantic, too. After three months of dating, a lot of things have seemed to change.

 

"Why did it take you so long to ask me out on a first date? You're obviously not chicken, I've seen the things you can do." I can tell he's referencing the time I had stood up against a rude parent of one of the daycare's children. That story, however, is for another time.

 

I can't tell him the way just the mention of his name makes my heart flutter, or how his eyes make me melt, and the way his touch is electrifying..."Eh, I guess I didn't feel like it."  _Great, way to go, Levi, make yourself sound heartless, why don't you?_

 

"Oh, okay, I understand." I didn't even think it possible, but somehow his smile gets wider. If it weren't for the freezing temperatures outside, I would've melted in a puddle right then and there.

 

Few words are exchanged in the following minutes, but somehow we both agree to pack up and walk around the park for a bit. We stop by my car to drop off the basket, then head towards the swing set hand in hand. Coincidentally, on the way Eren begins to swing our hands back and forth like a child. I'm tempted to reprimand him, but stop when I see the pure glee on his face.

 

Once we reach the swings, I decide to take the shortest seat there to prevent an awkward struggle of getting up onto the swing. Eren stands behind me, rather than taking the swing next to me as I expected. I try to turn around and look at him, confused out of my mind, but suddenly I'm soaring up through the air. My stomach plummets as I fall back down, only to be airborne once again. Eren stands in front of me with his hands on his hips, laughing at my startled expression.

 

As I swing back and forth, I slowly come to understand that Eren had given me an underdog; something I hadn't experienced since elementary school. I suddenly feel childish, a practically new feeling for me. With this new emotion, I suddenly let out a gleeful shrieking laugh and leap off the swing, landing in front of Eren. I stumble slightly into him, but he manages to catch me and set me upright.

 

Both of us stand there laughing and holding each other, our fingers intertwined comfortably. I rest my cheek on his chest and sigh happily, a smile plastered on my face.

 

"Hey, Levi?" His voice draws my attention, pulling my head away from his warm and firm chest.

 

"Wh-?" He suddenly cuts me off with his gentle lips on mine, his hand cupping both sides of my face. My heart thunders in my chest as I wrap my arms around his waist and return the kiss exploringly. He accepts it quickly, tilting his head further to the side to allow more access.

 

His left hand shifts down slightly to the back of my neck to pull me closer and deeper. It takes a few moments, but soon Eren hits his stride and begins to really put his moves on (;D). I quickly find myself out of breath and face extremely heated. I hold out as long as I can, not wanting to break our moment, but eventually I have to pull back for air.

 

Eren reluctantly lets me go and makes up for it by putting his forehead to mine and staring deep into my eyes. "You're amazing." His voice sounds slightly husky and I can't help but be even more attracted.

 

"I can say the same for you."

 

We stay there for a long time, just looking into each other's eyes. I nearly have his memorized by the time we decide to move on. When I say move on, I mean until Eren decided to start tickling me.

 

When his hands found their way to my sides I knew I was done for. He begins to tickle me like a pro and leaves me with no escape; my only option is to wriggle around in his arms to block the attacker.

 

"Ah! Haha-ah! Hahaha! Eren, stOP! HAHA, NO NOT THERE!" Eren's hands moved from my sides to the small of my back and slowly up my spine. I wiggle ferociously to try to escape, but to no avail. Just before his hands reach the base of my neck, I manage to turn around and attack him at the neck.

 

My original plan was to catch him off-guard enough to escape; however, when my hands reached the nape of his neck he suddenly stoppd dead and howled with laughter unlike anything I've ever heard. It was almost..sensual _...that can come in handy later..._

 

I remove my hands and allow Eren to breathe once more, but only just enough to go in for another kiss. Sadly, I'm forced keep it short to prevent my hands and feet from freezing off. On the way back to the car, our hands linked, Eren stoops down for another kiss that sends a wave of warmth from head to toe.

 

_You know, maybe almost freezing to death wouldn't be too bad with Eren..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I felt a toothache coming on, writing suck sappy romantic fluff...I'll need dentures by the time I finish this fanfic XD
> 
> Please comment and let me know love songs/any songs that you feel would work well for Levi and Eren! I'm in need of a bunch for my secret project for you guys. Greatly appreciated!
> 
> Until Saturday :D


	16. Dinner With the 'Family'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is from Eren's POV, I decided to do a lead-up fluff chapter just for you guys, hope you enjoy! 
> 
> I'm also starting to shift more towards the family scene and how Eren fits in with Levi and Petra, so expect the coming chapters to include more Petra!

" _You make me smile, even just for a whiiile, mmm..._ " I break off with a chuckle and check the mirror to see Petra giggling gleefully in the back seat. Levi shakes his head with a small smile and turns the other way to look out the window silently. Throughout the song, Levi remained silent, quietly savoring our entertaining shenanigans. 

 

The song fades out and is replaced by an annoying car commercial full of cheap effects and annoying middle-aged men desperate to sell you cars that last a few months before needing replacement, forcing you back again and again and again and again...uh, sorry, I just don't like salespeople very much...ugh.

 

I ease the car to a stop at the red light and turn the radio down to rid of the annoying background noise. Levi continues to look quietly out the window while Petra fiddles with her Titan Doll, attempting to put it in a dress that she had taken off of one of her old dolls. Content with the current standings, I return my gaze to the road and allow the car to fall into a comfortable silence, the only noise being the faint static of the radio in the background.

 

Knowing that the restaurant is still a good twenty minutes away, I distract myself by counting all the silver cars that go by, secretly searching for one that matches Levi's eyes. I don't get my hopes up too high, being that Levi's eyes have flecks of multiple colors that change in the light. Those eyes have kept me awake for more than one night before, but I can't complain. With each sleepless night comes hundreds of fantasies and ideas as to what I could do for Levi (and Petra) in the future. In fact, it was one of those sleepless nights that brought me this idea of going out for dinner.

 

Today ended up being a good day for it, too. Levi appeared to be extremely stressed when I picked them up. After a bit of digging, he revealed that work wasn't going too well, with the end of the year coming up soon and deadlines being thrown this way and that. I attempted to soothe him with a few gentle touches and whispered sweet nothings. It took a bit to get through to him, but he finally relaxed enough to enjoy himself and even joined in with a few songs that played on the radio. His voice was drowned out by the music, but I have no doubt that it's the most beautiful one in the world.

 

The expected twenty minutes are reduced to fifteen by the rapid movement of traffic through the city. I was honestly quite surprised at that, most of the time the streets are flooded with slow-moving cars on Friday nights. I don't let the favor go unthanked: I make a mental note to give an extra big tip to the waiter as repayment for the good karma...I think that's how it works, right? Oh, whatever, I'm in a good mood tonight, it doesn't hurt to pass it on.

 

The parking lot seems surprisingly empty, leaving us a desirable spot right by the door. It seems as though our reservation wasn't necessary to make, but you can never be too careful.

 

I exit the car and hurry around to the other side to open the door for Levi before he gets the chance to do it himself. After all, if he can be a gentleman, so can I. 

 

Levi smiles gratefully up at me and grabs my outstretched hand for assistance in getting up. I'm well aware that he doesn't need it, but I figured that it would be the polite way. Levi lets go of my hand to open the door for Petra and unbuckle her while I shut his door. Petra hops out of the car with her Titan Doll in hand and bounds toward me with her arms stretched out. She leaps up into my open arms and I spin her around in a circle grinning wide.

 

Levi eases up beside us quietly as we head toward the entrance, Petra balanced on my hip. Levi steps in front and pulls the door open, holding it open for Petra and I. I nod my thanks and head inside the cozy atmosphere filled with warm lighting and oak panels and logs. 

 

I spot the hostess station dead ahead and can't help but notice the small antlers mounted on the front of the podium. As we get closer, the hostess looks up and flashes a polite but curt smile.

 

"Reservation?" She looks down at the seating map on the table to await my answer.

 

"Jaeger." I retort with a short answer, not very appreciative of her abrupt manner. She scans the map and puts an 'X' on the table at which our names had been placed for our arrival, then grabs three menus and begins to walk away.

 

"Miss, excuse me, miss?" She stops and turns around, frustration apparent in her expression.

 

"Yes, sir?" She slowly walks back to the podium, seeing that we weren't following.

 

"Could we please have a kids menu, too?" I glance at Petra and watch her visibly sigh in relief upon seeing the hostess pull out a small box of crayons and a small paper menu. Petra looks at me and giggles happily, her way of saying thanks.

 

We follow the hostess to a table in the far back corner of the restaurant near a window overlooking the restaurant sign glowing brightly in the night. Not exactly the best view, but at least we aren't stuck staring at the dumpsters out back.

 

Petra scooches to the inside of the booth, eager to have the window seat. Through time I've come to learn that Petra enjoys looking out the window at the view, no matter or boring it may be. I stand patiently, waiting for Levi to take his seat beside Petra before sliding into the booth opposite.

 

I unzip my coat and set it next to me, gesturing for Petra to do the same. Levi already has his coat off and hanging on the hook to the outside of the booth. Petra struggles a bit to pull her arms out of the sleeves but manages to successfully take it off. Levi accepts her coat and hangs it beside his carefully.

 

"Daddy, the waitwress thought I was a gwown-up!" Petra giggles as she pulls her menu toward her, the crayons already in her hand.

 

"Really? Well, it's not that surprising with how fast you're growing." Levi's responds with a smile, ruffling her hair affectionately.

 

"Soon enough you'll be taller than your Daddy." I earn a kick in the leg under the table from Levi who is attempting to hide his smile with a frown. The result is quite comical, I must say.

 

Petra understands my joke and buries her laughter in the sleeve of her shirt. While at the daycare, I make a whole lotta jabs at Levi's height to cheer her up whenever she gets upset and it usually works.

 

Eventually, the laughter dies down and we're left to figure out what we're going to be eating. Petra quickly decides on grilled cheese with smiley fries. Levi and I take a bit longer to decide.

 

"Seafood sounds good."

 

"What about lobster? No?"

 

"There's a salad bar..."

 

"The special on sandwiches sounds like a good deal."

 

Levi and I had agreed on sharing our dinners to get more of a variety and better taste of the restaurant. However, we struggle to decide on plates that we both would enjoy. It's not that our tastes are completely different, and we aren't very picky either; we were just hoping to stay on the cheaper side to leave more room for dessert.

 

After the waiter had been sent back twice, we finally decide to get a seafood sampler and the salad bar. Levi gets up for the salad bar, leaving me at the table with Petra.

 

"Hey Ewren, wanna pway tic-tac-toe?" Petra pushes the paper towards me with a sloppy but adorable tic-tac-toe board already drawn on it. I can't say no to a face as cute as hers, so I grab a crayon and draw an 'O' in the center. Petra, elated by my response, grabs a blue crayon and places an 'X' in the upper right-hand corner.

 

Soon we're locked in an "intense" battle, board after board slowly filling the paper up. Most end in a tie, but occasionally one of us wins the game with a cry of satisfaction. It seems as though Petra is winning more battles than I can count, but I don't get the chance to tally it up due to Levi's return with his salad plate piled high with a variety of vegetables and pasta salads.

 

He sets the plate down on the table and slides an empty one across to me. "Here, you can take some of my food."

 

"Aw, thanks _honey_." I make sure to emphasize the 'honey', knowing all too well the effect pet-names have on Levi.

 

I watch as he freezes with the fork halfway to his mouth, the tips of his ears beginning to turn red. He clears his throat awkwardly and blinks twice to recover from his embarrassment and resumes eating as though nothing happened. 

 

I pull the plate across the table to me and fork through his food, taking little scoops of the pasta salad here and there. I take a big scoop of the carrots and put it on my plate. Levi looks at me curiously but doesn't say anything about it. After sifting through his whole plate, I return it to Levi and dive into my carrots.

 

Petra continues to scribble on her menu quietly, not appearing to mind our eating. It's nearly twenty minutes later that our food finally finds its way to our table. Petra's eyes brighten as the food is placed in front of her. If it weren't for Levi's meticulous manners training, she would've dove in the first chance she got.

 

Levi continues to eat his salad, the third serving he has gotten. The seafood platter slides down on the table between us with a variety of fish and other aquatic delicacies. My mouth begins to water with the thought of eating all of the crab legs.

 

It's not until after the waiter leaves that Petra and I dive into our food, both of us practically starving after waiting for so long. Although, I guess I didn't really wait. Levi had been kind enough to share his food with me to hold me over...I guess that means I'll have to share the crab legs after all.

 

~~

 

I set my fork down slowly on the edge of the empty plate and lean back, feeling full to the point of bursting. Petra had already finished her food and busied herself with her Titan Doll once again.

 

Levi looks at me with an eyebrow raised, seemingly amused. Confused, I tilt my head and attempt to raise my eyebrow the same way. Levi chuckles at my failed attempt and leans across the table to wipe something off of my face with his napkin. He hesitates before sitting back down, pausing to look in my eyes in search of something. I watch his eyes flicker back and forth between both of mine, then go cross-eyed to try and draw a laugh out of him.

 

A beat of silence, then a rumbling chuckle as he lowers himself back down in his seat, shaking his head at me. I stick my tongue out playfully in response, then quickly pull it back in upon seeing the waiter returning.

 

"Can I get you any dessert?" I had completely forgotten about dessert until it was mentioned again. My previously full stomach suddenly feels empty at the thought of chocolate cake or ice-cream or pudding or-

 

"No thanks, we're good." The waiter nods and leaves to get the check, leaving me staring at Levi in stunned silence.

 

"But I thought we were-"

 

"I have something else planned for us, you'll see." Levi smiles knowingly at Petra who returns it easily.  _That little monster, she knew about this?_

 

The waiter returns with the check and Levi pays, despite my best argument. Grumpily, I grab my coat and head towards the door with Levi and Petra in tow. I try to walk around the driver's side to get in, but Levi stops me before I get in.

 

"Let me drive." I sigh and back away, already aware that I was fighting a losing battle. Levi leans up and gives me a peck on the lips to make me feel a bit better. "You'll like it, I promise." I nod and give him a short kiss, longer than his peck, before reluctantly getting in the passenger's side. He better have something good planned, because I  _will_ ditch him if it means I can get an instant piece of cheesecake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, what's going to happen now?? FLUFF! 
> 
> On one condition- I need a romantic Ereri-type song in order to write this, so give me any and all songs you think will work! Muchly appreciated!
> 
> Until Wednesday!
> 
> (And please wish me luck, I have auditions for my school play this Monday, let's hope I do well! I'll let you know how it went with the next update if anyone's curious)


	17. Dessert Desertion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you IAmNotCapableOfInventingACleverUsername for the song recommendations, I ended up listening to all of them and choosing "Budapest" by George Ezra (which I recommend listening to while reading the last part), but all the songs were fabulous!! It was truly rollercoaster of emotions, some of them were blasts from the past that I very much enjoyed. (I'll be using "I Wouldn't Mind" by He Is We for another secret project). Thank you very much for the help :D

"Come on, just tell me already! I give up!" Eren punches my shoulder lightly with a frustrated groan. "I'm hungry..."

 

With a light chuckle, I shake my head and continue driving as the light turns green. "You'll see when we get to my house, I think you can wait five more minutes."

 

"But I don't want toooooooooo." Without even looking at him, I can tell that Eren has his arms crossed and puppy dog eyes looking directly at me. To avoid causing a car crash, I ignore Eren's attempts at wooing me in favor of staying alive.

 

"Just wait."

 

~~~  
  


"You're not gonna get me now!" I wield a whisk in hand, flower coating my hair and falling off onto my nose. Eren whips around and grabs a wooden spoon off the counter coated in cake batter.

 

"You're on!!" Eren and I begin circling each other, eyeing the other as prey. Eren is the first to make a move, pouncing forward with batter flying this way and that. I successfully block with my whisk, but just barely. With our weapons locked, we push our way around the kitchen, taking turns having the advantage. Suddenly, I pull my whisk out from underneath Eren's spoon and whack him on the top of the head.

 

"Ha ha, got you!" I flee quickly, jumping over the sofa and grabbing a pillow for protection, temporarily forgetting my clean-freakiness. I pant quietly, listening for Eren's advances. Even after counting to ten I fail to hear any signs of human life. With pillow and whisk in hand, I slowly peer over the top of the couch to search for the enemy.

 

The coffee table appears untouched, the vase of flowers still standing upright and the stack of magazines neatly organized. I eye the two easy chairs, expecting Eren to come storming out. When that doesn't yield any results, I look to the kitchen only to be met with the same.

 

My anticipation builds as I begin to grow frantic searching for him.  _Where could he have possibly gone?! He was there a minute ago...!_

 

"Looking for me?" I try to turn around and defend myself, but Eren moved efficiently and quickly has me pinned to the ground with my hands above my head and whisk gone. 

 

I pant heavily, my heart pounding with adrenaline for both the excitement and having Eren so close and smiling. We pause our game and take a moment to look at each other while breathing heavily, suggesting that other occurrences may have taken place to make us so winded.  _Shoot, Levi, don't think about that...bad boy, Eren doesn't want that, at least not right now...but what about when he does...oh, that body, though..Levi, stop! Stop it now!_ _  
_

Throughout my internal monologue, Eren continued to look at me, his expression morphing from elated about his victory to slightly confused about my silence. I smile slightly, trying to play off thoughts as just a blank-minded pause. Eren appears to get the message and eases back on his heels, still resting on top of me. 

 

"So much for that cake." Eren smirks and cheekily licks the cake batter off of the spoon, trying to rub his victory in my face. I refuse to let it get to me and settle on sitting up to reach an equal level. After a bit of adjusting, Eren finds a way to comfortably settle in my lap with one arm slung around my neck and the other resting in his lap. I grab Eren around his waist and curl both arms all the way around, resting my head on his shoulder.

 

"It's okay, I like this better anyways. It's much sweeter." I hardly manage to keep a straight face as I see Eren look at me in shock.

 

"YOU JUST MADE A PUN." Eren squeals slightly and squirms in my lap. "MAKE ANOTHER ONE!" I had prepared some puns beforehand, expecting a reaction similar to the one I'm receiving.

 

"Are you metal? Because you're looking mighty malleable." I wink and place a chaste kiss on his cheek, causing Eren to turn a light shade of pink.

 

"Is that even a pun?" 

 

"Who cares? There's a bigger problem at hand- something's wrong with my eyes, I can't take them off you."

 

"You smooth little-"

 

"Let me tie your shoes, I don't want you falling for anyone else." Eren looks down at his feet confused and back at me, realising that he doesn't even have any shoes on.

 

"But I don't have any shoes-"

 

"Kiss me if I'm wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?"

 

"Well, technically they do, birds are descendants of dinosaurs and they share a lot of-"

 

I cut him off with a smirk and turn his face to look at mine. "Just kiss me, you dork." And he does. He does a very good job, too.

 

I can tell by the smug smile on Eren's face when we break apart that he has something coming for me. "Can I borrow a kiss, I promise I'll give it back." 

 

"Take them all, I don't need 'em anyways." With that, I push Eren off of my lap and stand up, ruffling my hair to get the remaining flour out of it.

 

"Wait, that's not how it's supposed to go..!" Eren gets up and follows me like a little puppy dog, eager to please his master.

 

"I don't care, now clean the kitchen."

 

"But Levi-"

 

"Or you can sing me a song." I freeze, completely caught off-guard as the request came spilling from my mouth. For the last few weeks, I've been day-dreaming about Eren singing to me, but I never planned on verbalizing my wish. Too late for that now, I guess.

 

"Uh...okay." Eren stops outside the kitchen and rubs the back of his neck nervously. "That's an odd request, but sure." I begin to clean the kitchen up as I give him time to think about hat he wants to sing, already excited as it is to finally hear his singing voice.

 

Eren clears his throat to get my attention and leans on the fridge, his cheeks dusted a light pink from embarrassment. "I- uh, I'm ready."

 

"Then go ahead." I continue wiping the flour off of the counter and into the garbage can, my back turned away from Eren.

 

" _My house in Budapest, my hidden treasure chest, golden grand piano, my beautiful Castillo..."_ I whirl around as he begins to sing, absolutely enchanted by his singing voice. However, not wanting to tip him off about my surprise, I keep a straight face and lean casually against the kitchen counter, the rag still in my hand.

 

"... _y_ _ou, you, I'd leave it all.."_  I take the time to admire the gentle swooping sounds of his voice, a slight scruffiness adding to the appeal.

 

 _"...Give me one good reason why I should never make a change, and baby if you hold me then all of this will go away..."_ Something about his singing clues me in that it's not just any random song that he had chosen; he had thought it through and chose one that had a real message. This realization sends a jolt to my heart and I can't help but crack a small smile.

 

Seeing that gives Eren more confidence as he finishes the song out. "... _Oh, for you, oh, you, I'd leave it all."  
_ I don't realize there are tears in my eyes until one single drop breaks free and rolls down my cheek. Slowly, I set the rag down on the counter and stand to face Eren. He looks at me hesitantly, expecting some kind of comment. But rather than verbally expressing something that has no words, I throw myself at him and cling to him like I'm never letting go. 

 

He lets out a small 'oomph' and takes a few steps back in surprise, then wraps his arms around me and places a kiss on my head. "I love you, Levi."

 

My already fragile heart shatters into a million glowing pieces. Tension has been building up within me to tell Eren how I feel about him, but he was the one to finally take the leap. I try to hold it back, but fail and end up nearly sobbing into his shoulder. "I love you too, Eren."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were wondering where Petra is in all of this, she already went to bed after falling asleep in the car on the way back. (Eren carried her in ^-^)
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know what you want to see in the next update! I'm thinking I'll do something Thanksgiving-y, but you guys can decide.~
> 
> Until Wednesday!


	18. Thanksgiving Feast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this pretty late and while being tired so it's a bit on the shorter side and may not be my best but it's still something, am I right?

After confessing my love for Levi, things seemed to even out for a while. We were entering the blissful stage of the relationship where everything is happy and cuddly and you feel like you can take on the world.

 

However, the feeling can't last forever, especially during the holiday season. There's not much you can do to prevent it at this point, the holidays put far too much stress on people and can drive them mad. I try to tell this to myself while blocking out Levi's frustrating accusations, but it still gets under my skin.

 

"-and the dishes! Why can't you just put the dishes away after you wash them? I can't do everything, can I?" His voice isn't raised at all, it's at the same volume as his normal inside voice, but the ferocity is still there in his eyes. The only thing I can think about is how much I want it to stop and for everything to be fine again. But a nagging feeling still eats away at me that there are things I want to yell back at him.

 

"Oh yeah? Well, at least I don't have wipe a chair before sitting down, even at home! I mean, come on, who does that!" I animatedly throw my hands up in the air with the dish towel still in my hand. The pan of green bean casserole that I had just taken out of the oven sits steaming on the counter, sending delicious scents into the air only to be ignored.

 

"You're the polar opposite, you don't even wash your hands before sitting down to eat. You know how disgusting and ridiculous that looks."

 

"I'm not the one who has his hand stuck up a turkey's butt." The air abruptly stills and the room falls silent. Then unanimously, we burst out laughing to the point of tears in our eyes and doubling over with stitches in our sides. Levi removes his hand from the turkey and wipes it off on a paper towel, still chuckling heartily.

 

"Looks like we survived our first fight." Levi looks at me and winks smartly, still wiping his hands off. I cheekily respond with a whack on his butt with my dish towel, drawing a little jump out of him and a playful glare.

 

I didn't think it possible, but we return to our cooking and baking in more harmony than we had begun with, a light-hearted buzzing of sound and movement throughout the kitchen.

 

~~~~

 

A few hours pass in the wink of an eye and the doorbell is suddenly being rung.

 

"I got it!" Carefully setting down the knife I had been using to cut the turkey up, I leap over the couch and tear towards the door. Already aware of the identity of the people outside, I decide to toy with them a bit.

 

"Who is iiiit?" I press my ear against the door to hear the answer clearly.

 

"It's Petwa and Auntie Hanji!!" 

 

"Who?" I grin to myself and look through the peep-hole on the door. Petra and Hanji stand outside all bundled up in their coats, Petra wearing a fuzzy red hat to help cover her ears. She carries a little plate stacked high with a variety of pastries, ranging from brownies to cupcakes to danishes; while Hanji is left to carry the bulk of the food piled so high that she needs to look around the stack to see where she is going.

 

"Ewren, it's Petwa! You know me!" She giggles and looks up at Hanji, likely attempting to roll her eyes.

 

"OH! Petra!" I swing the door open and crouch down to quickly grab her before she has any time to react. Shrieking with laughter, I carry her into the dining room under my arm with the platter in my other hand. I set the pastries on the table and swing Petra onto the couch- carefully of course.

 

"Hey Ewren, happy Thanksgiving!!" Petra scrambles onto her feet and clings to my forearms, nearly halfway off of the couch looking eagerly up at me for my response.

 

"Happy Thanksgiving, Petra. Did you have fun with Auntie Hanji?" She nods vigorously and points to the pastries.

 

"We made all of those and I made the brownies by myself!" She beams proudly with her hands on her hips.

 

"Wow, they must be really good, then. Good job!" I put my hand up for a high-five, then a backhand slap and finger snapping hand-shake. Petra easily returns it, having made it up and performing it many times before.

 

"Eren, can you come help me with this quick?" I look to Petra quickly and nod my departure, then scurry into the kitchen before anything goes terribly wrong.

 

~~~~

 

It took quite a few trips from the kitchen to the dining room, but finally we're all able to sit down to our feast. A large variety of casseroles and vegetables cover the center of the table, the perimeter of the table saved for our plates. Levi and I sit on the side closer to the kitchen, Petra and Hanji sitting opposite.

 

"Eren, would you like to say grace?"

 

"Sure, here goes nothing." I take a deep breath and recall the grace I memorized specifically for this occasion.

 

"Lord, my soul is ripped with riot

Incited by my wicked diet.

"We are what we eat," said a wise old man,

Lord, if that's true, I'm a garbage can.

To rise on Judgment Day, it's plain,

With my present weight, I'll need a crane.

So grant me strength that I may not fall,

Into the clutches of cholesterol.

May my flesh with carrot-curls be dated,

That my soul may be polyunsaturated

And show me the light that I may bear witness,

To the President's Council on Physical Fitness.

And at oleomargarine I'll never mutter,

For the road to Hell is paved with butter.

And cream is cursed; and cake is awful;

And Satan is hiding in every waffle.

Mephistopheles lurks in pepperoni,

The Devil himself in each slice of bologna.

Beelzebub is a chocolate drop,

And Lucifer is a lollipop.

Give me this day my daily slice,

Cut it thin and toast it twice.

I beg upon my dimpled knees,

Deliver me from jujube's.

And when my days of trial are done,

And my war with malted milk balls won,

Let me stand with Heavenly throng,

In a shining robe -- size 30 long.

I can do it Lord, if you'll show to me,

The virtues of lettuce and celery.

Teach me the evil of mayonnaise,

And of pasta a la Milanese.

And crisp-fried chicken from the South,

Lord, if you love me, shut my mouth!"

 

Throughout grace, everyone gradually opened their eyes and raised their heads to look at me, mouths open in awe, horror, amusement, or a combination of the three. Everyone ended up being so caught up in it that I'm the only one who actually says 'Amen.'

 

~~~~

 

We quickly finish the food laid out before us, our stomachs full to the point of bursting. Or, at least, that's we thought. 

 

"Eren, can you help me bring dessert out?" My mouth already begins to water with the thought of eating apple and pumpkin and blueberry pie...mmm....

 

I eagerly leap out of my seat, forgetting my previously full stomach, and grab as many pies off of the counter as possible to deliver to the table. Levi follows closely behind with most of the other desserts, only leaving a plate or two behind that I quickly loop back around to grab.

 

After all the dessert makes it to the table and everyone is seated, Hanji is the first to speak while we are all too caught up in piling our plates high with more food. 

 

"I almost feel like we should say grace again with so much food here." That draws a small chuckle out of me, not important enough to draw my attention away from the pie sitting on the other end of the table. Levi follows my gaze and sees the pie, then mischievously grins and takes it, cutting a large slice for himself at an agonizingly slow pace while I watch with drool nearly dripping from my mouth.  _Finally,_ he passes it to me and I scoop nearly half of the pie onto my plate.

 

The rest of dessert plays out in silence, all of us too busy stuffing ourselves to the max with the most delicious foods we've ever had. I know I certainly enjoyed the variety that Levi's French-styled foods brought to the table and Hanji's overly-sweet...well...everything.

 

"Thank you guys, for everything." I settle back into my chair and set my fork down on my plate, absolutely done. Levi follows shortly after, then Hanji and Petra.

 

"Sure thing, Eren, it's hard to believe you haven't had Thanksgiving for the past three years."

 

"It's kind of difficult when the rest of my friends and family are abroad." I smile sheepishly and rub the back of my neck.

 

"Well, I'm thankful to have you here." Levi rubs my shoulder softly and places a quick peck on my cheek, drawing a faint blush to my cheeks.

 

"I second that." Hanji smiles at me from across the table.

 

"Me thwee!!" Petra waves her hands and jumps up from her seat to run around the table and pull me down by the sleeve to put a kiss on my other cheek.

 

"Oh, shucks, guys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, the whole time I was writing this I was just trying to figure out how to end this chapter and the only way I saw fit was "Aww shucks". It probably is as ridiculous as it seems, but at this point I don't really care :P 
> 
> What are you guys thankful for? I'm thankful for a lot of things, but mainly apples...^-^
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving everybody!


	19. Petra's Teddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With so much cutesy fluff and such, I felt it was time to return to the important things (aka gender equality, sexuality, etc.)
> 
> Don't worry though! There's still some cute lovey-dovey stuff scattered throughout here :D
> 
> *WARNING* There are some offensive slurs in here about sexuality and mild cursing.

Eren clutches my hand tightly as we pass by a small coffee shop with no more than 10 people hanging around inside and out. I glance at him curiously, then scan the crowd in search for what seemed to be making him so uncomfortable. After looking it over three times, my eyes finally fall on a muscular man sitting in the far right corner all by his lonesome, quietly sipping his coffee while reading the newspaper in his hands. At first glance, he seems harmless, but upon further inspection I notice the  _very_ offensive writing on his shirt.

 

The man decides that exact moment to put down his newspaper and reach over the table to grab some more sugar for his coffee. As he settles back in his seat to tear the packet open, his eyes fall on me and Eren with our hands intertwined between us. Eren's hand squeezes mine tightly and I squeeze his back, silently urging him to walk faster. I may be perfectly capable of putting up a fight, but that doesn't mean I want to.

 

My luck seems to run short, for before we get even halfway past the coffee shop the man is barreling us down with a terrifying glow of hatred in his gaze. Eren attempts to go even faster, at almost a run, but I pull him back. If we run from him when he's nearly upon us, it'll show weakness and he will be more likely to attack us.

 

I can feel Eren trembling slightly, more likely out of terror than the nearly freezing temperatures due to his uncanny ability to constantly stay warm. 

 

"Calm down, daddy, I got you." Eren's cheeks turn a bright red and my distraction successfully, but only momentarily, pulls him away from the situation at hand.

 

With Eren's hand still in mine, I turn around the face the man just as he comes to a stop in front of us. His sneer sends lightning bolts of anger through my veins, but I keep it concealed in hopes of settling the situation in a non-violent manner.

 

"What do you fags think you're doing, huh? Think you own the place, don't you?" The man jabs a finger at both of us, his coffee abandoned at his table.

 

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't realize we were bothering you. If you don't mind, we'll be leaving now so the 'place' can return to its rightful owner." Just because I want to get out of it unscathed doesn't mean I won't do it without sass.

 

"Who the hell are you talking to like that, buddy? 'Cause it sure as hell ain't me." The man's balding head glistens slightly with sweat from the work it takes to yell at innocent people going about their lives.

 

"Sorry, sir, we'll be going now." I hold Eren's hand with an iron grip and whirl around the storm away. 

 

We don't even get five feet and the man is already laying his hands on us. "You boys aren't going anywhere, not without a good lesson." Suddenly his fist is flying towards my face. Without a second thought, I drop Eren's hand and through my forearm in front of my face to block the attack.

 

Surprised by the defensive move, the man hesitates slightly before making another move, giving me the opportunity to get to him. With a deep breath, I charge in with my hands raised and rapidly attack him, punching his face, arms, chest, stomach, anywhere I can reach. In a blur, the man is doubled over with his hands raised above his head for weak protection. For good measure, I knee him in the stomach and send him flying backward on the ground.

 

Leaving Eren standing at a comfortable distance, I strut over to the man struggling to get up and put my foot on his chest, leaning down to get in his face. The man' face is pouring sweat as he struggles to wriggle free. With a smirk, I push my foot down harder and pin him in place, getting further in his face.

 

"You might want to consider getting a new shirt." I keep my voice in a dark, husky whisper to further intimidate him. I remove my foot and stand up straight, smoothing out my white button down shirt. Before the man has a chance to stand back up, I grab an abandoned cup of coffee off of the nearest table and dump it on his white shirt, ruining the "beautiful pattern": 'God Hates Fags'.

 

For final measure, I spit on his shirt and stomp away to where Eren stands waiting. The adrenaline roars through me, the pounding of my heart temporarily blocking out the noise all around us. Just as I come to a stop beside Eren, he grabs me gently by the shoulder and spins me to face him, capturing my lips in his.

 

The simple presence and essence of Eren fills me and easily soothes my frantic heart and mind. His hands search for mine, grabbing them and holding them tightly between us to give them warmth and reassure me that I'm safe. 

 

Eren is the first to break away, his eyes immediately searching for mine to assure that I'm safe and sound. I meet his and give a small nod and a gentle smile, still quietly recovering. Eren's affinity speeds along the process until I gradually begin to hear the sound of a crowd cheering. Confused, I raise my head and look around us to see that a small crowd of people had gathered throughout the stand-off, more people there than were in the coffee shop to begin with. 

 

I look back to Eren as reassurance that I wasn't imagining it and he chuckles and nods. My heart flutters softly in my chest, realizing that there were more people out there that support the LGBTQ+ community than I thought. Hand in hand once again, bundled up in our hats and scarves and gloves, Eren and I walk down the sidewalk in blissful glee.

 

It's only the Saturday after thanksgiving and already the town is decked out in Christmas decorations. "What about Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, America?" I mutter to myself, not intending for Eren to hear.

 

It seems he did, however, because instead of continuing straight he hung a left and led us to a small storefront covered in a variety of symbolic holiday items from across multiple cultures and religions.  _Kinaras_ , _menorahs_ , _dreidels_ , candles, bamboo, and a variety of _n_ _engajo_ litter the display among many other holiday symbols and treats that I don't recognize. I almost get tears in my eyes, my heart so warmed it feels as though it melted. I was under the impression that no one cared for any holiday aside from the capitalistic 'Christmas', but Eren gladly proved me wrong.

 

"Thank you, Eren," I whisper gently and kiss him lightly on the lips in appreciation. Eren hums softly and rubs his thumb across the gloved back of my hand, sending warm chills up my arm.

 

We continue to walk, no goal in particular, just enjoying Eren's second-to-last-day off. I've gradually come to understand Eren's work schedule: every other Saturday off, every Sunday off, and the last Friday of the month off. On his days off, Armin would cover Eren's shifts. In return, Eren did the same whenever needed. Eren had revealed to me that it was originally a drunken idea, but I believe it turned into a rather good one. The working relationship between the two of them was at times a little shifty, but in the end it definitely worked. The past three days had been taken off since the daycare was closed for Thanksgiving and Black Friday and I couldn't be happier.

 

Hanji understood the need for our couple time, so she took Petra in for the weekend. She was quite enthusiastic about it, too. I wouldn't be surprised if Petra comes back enriched with science knowledge and a large array of experiments to be conducted in the kitchen. Maybe she'll even have her own lab coat and goggles!

 

Eren had laughed at my concern when I told him, but he didn't disagree. We continue our aimless trek through the small town just outside the city, admiring the sights and the warmth and love radiating off of each other. We never stop in a store, just simply stand outside and looking in at the window displays. 'Window shopping', I believe, would be the proper term for it.

 

At one point, we stop outside of a small shop containing a variety of trinkets and handmade clothing and accessories. My eyes settle on a particular beanie in the back of the window, made of a variety of pastel colors with a tiny red heart woven in the back. I see Eren glancing at me out of the corner of my eye, then looking at the same beanie. I hope he gets the message and lets me go inside to buy the hat, but instead he pulls me along and abandons my one true love in the window.  _Noooooooo!!~_

 

As the sun begins to go down, we decide to begin walking back to Eren's truck. Shortly after the flat tire incident, the engine gave out and Eren's whole truck pretty much went to crap. Thankfully, Eren had some money saved up and managed to get a new, more reliable truck. This one is maroon with tinted windows and an extra large bed, a big upgrade from the previous one.

 

On the way to the truck, we pass by a park that I had taken Petra to right upon arriving in the city. We hadn't returned since then, finding a better park much closer to home. Eren and I swing our hands like children and continue to march on through the cold. Suddenly and unannounced, Eren stops and yanks me off the sidewalk and into the grass.

 

"Hey, what was that for?" Eren ignores me and bends down, still holding my hand, to reach under the wooden park bench. He pulls something out with a soft chuckle and shakes it gently to clean it up a bit.

 

"Look what I found." I crack a wide smile and peck Eren on the cheek.

 

"What are the chances?" Eren passes the teddy bear to me with a wise smile.

 

"Who's going to give it to her?" I look at the teddy bear closely, both eyes still intact with the only sign of misuse being the dirt caked on the back.

 

"You found it," I push the teddy bear into Eren's waiting arms. "so you should give it to her." Eren giggles like a child and tucks the bear under his arms, eyes glowing with the excitement of returning Petra's fabled long-lost teddy.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what it is but I really liked this chapter, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy ^-^
> 
> Coming up Wednesday: Petra gets her teddy, the daycare gets a surprise inspection, and Levi eats cake. Until then!


	20. Levi Eats Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is shorter but for some reason today I've been having trouble making coherent thoughts. I didn't want to skip out on this update so I kinda shortened it and skipped past the little details.
> 
> And thank you for 5k reads, that's incredible! I never thought I would reach this point. As a thank you I'm gradually working towards finishing another single (but very long) chapter fanfic that will be posted in time for Christmas. Think of it as a thank you and a present for whatever holiday you may celebrate!

"Oh my goodness, Ewren! Thank you SOOOO much!" Petra squeals delightedly and tugs Eren's sleeve to pull him down to her level in order to plant a large and wet kiss on his cheek. I watch amusedly and pull Eren in for a neater kiss on the lips.

 

"Yes, thank you Eren. We were beginning to doubt that we would ever find..." I trail off, having not seen the bear for so long that I forgot its name.

 

"Greenie! Because of the green bow!" Petra jumps up and down and giggling excitedly, holding the teddy bear closer to her chest. Eren chuckles and ruffles her hair before heading to the kitchen.

 

"I'm making dinner tonight!" I follow Eren into the kitchen to ensure he doesn't accidentally burn himself, trusting Petra to stay out of trouble. Eren is definitely more childish than my mature little Petra.

 

"It's not even your kitchen!"

 

"I don't care, I belieeeeee-" Eren's voice gets cut off by the sound of an avalanche of pots and pans, sending me running to the kitchen to his rescue.

 

~~

 

"But Armiiin, it hurts...." Eren's voice sounds distant, most likely because he's trying to muffle the sound of his talking with his hand over the phone.

 

"I don't care, Eren, just go over and-"

 

"Eren, why did you call me? It better be something important because I'm about to have a really important meeting with Erwin."

 

A variety of sounds meets my ears as Eren most likely searches for a quieter and more private place to speak to me. After a few moments of silence, I hear what seems to be the sound of a door shutting and Eren returns to the phone.

 

"Did you know about the inspection today?" 

 

"What inspection?" I lean back in Fernando and cross my legs casually, staring at the newly added analog clock on the wall above the couch, daring the hour hand to reach the nine before I'm ready.

 

"We had a surprise daycare inspection today, this random guy just appeared out of nowhere and started asking for me and-"

 

"Okay, but what importance does this have to me? Because I really have to get going." I anxiously tap my fingers on my desk, still staring at the clock.

 

Eren's words come out in such a rush that I have to replay it in my head to understand what he said. "Well, he- excuse me, they- said that everything looked good, all the safety stuff was in place and yada yada yada, but then he- they- asked to check the records and such on the computer, so of course, we let them. They said that was clear too, the only problem is is that there needs to be at least one adult per five children and were short one adult. They said it wasn't too big of a deal, as long as we can find a replacement within the next month or get rid of the three extra kids. Of course, you know I'm not the kind of person who would do that so I said no problem, I already had someone on hand, so how about working at the daycare? And you can't really say no because I don't have anywhere else to look..." Eren trails off, likely nervously picking at the loose strings on his pants.

 

"Woah- wait, what? Me? Well, I guess-"

 

"Oh my god, thank you so much, Levi, you just saved my butt!" And with that Eren hung up, leaving me bewildered and two minutes late to my meeting.  _Why does it always have to be you, Eren?_

 

~~~

 

As I knock on the door, I realize that there are multiple voices coming from within the room.  _That's odd,_ I thought,  _wasn't this a one-on-one meeting with Erwin? Maybe you have the wrong place..._ _  
_

 

Erwin opens the door with a hearty chuckle and ushers me in, a large smile plastered across his face. "Hello, Levi, nice to see you. Why don't you have a seat over there." He points to a chair at the end of a row of chairs already occupied by multiple people that I'm sure I have never seen before. Their eyes follow me as I head to my chair stiffly, uncomfortable due to the disorientation this unexpected group of people brought with them.

 

"So, Levi, I'd like you to meet the bank's board." Erwin takes his rightful seat behind the desk and gestures to the prestigious high-ups that I supposedly worked with, despite not knowing a single one of them.

 

I clear my throat carefully before opening my mouth, hopefully ensuring a strong, steady voice emerges. "Nice to meet you."

 

They nod politely in response, their eyes surprisingly kind for the clothes they wear-  _Levi, remember, you don't judge a book by its cover._

 

"Excuse me, uh, sir, but what did you want to talk to me about?" I avoid the eerily kind stares of the others and turn my attention to Erwin, the only familiar one in the room. He grins and snaps his fingers, oddly, and I hear the sound of the door opening behind me.

 

I turn around in my chair to see who it could be and see a large cake being wheeled in by the secretary at the front desk. It almost looks like my name piped at the top in green frosting. My eyebrows shoot up in curiosity, then furrow in confusion.

 

"How about a promotion?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you get it? Levi's torn between working at the daycare with Eren or keeping his really well-paying job at the bank to support Petra- while having a promotion cake sitting in front of him. 
> 
> LET HIM EAT CAKE!
> 
>  
> 
> Important: I won't be updating on Saturday because I will be busy training to be a ninja (it's National Ninja Day, FYI) and ninjas must be invisible! I'll be back next Wednesday, though! Until then, please let me know what you think/should/will happen next! The feedback has been dwindling and I don't want to write something that you won't enjoy, so please please PLEASE let me know what you would like to see so I can head in the right direction!
> 
> That is all, until Wednesday!


	21. Snowball Fight Fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to wrap this up this Saturday with a good Christmas chapter. I'm sorry to kind of cut it off and everything, but I feel like I'm walking through quicksand every time I update to come up with something new and interesting. Therefore, there will be a bunch of time skips in the next one. I figured if I couldn't walk you through every little detail of their life, I could at least do the important ones. But I wasn't going to tell you about Levi helping at the daycare and not have it happen, so here you go!
> 
> And you can still look forward to the surprise I've been working on, I plan on posting it by December 24th, the latest.

"But Eren, I can't- I don't-"

 

"I believe in you, Levi! You can do it!" Eren shouts over his shoulder as he jogs towards the door, roughly pulling his coat up and over his shoulders. I hear the echo of his laughter as he slips outside and to his car, running out to pick up lunch for everybody at Panda Express.

 

Disoriented and alone, I set the smelly child down on the floor and desperately look around for anyone to help with the daunting task. My eyes are met with a practically empty room, most of the children playing outside in their snowsuits making snowmen and angels while I'm stuck inside with  _this mess._

 

With a frustrated sigh, I grab the little boy from his armpits and hold him out at arm's-length, attempting to get the smell as far away from me as possible as though it would make it go away. I hurriedly head towards the bathroom and set the boy on the kitchen sink, the only alternative to the cold, tiled floor. I grab a few wipes and a pull-up from the storage cabinet just outside and set them down on the edge of the counter.

 

I count to ten and take a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh to prepare myself for the horrible sight before me. I take a practically-gasp of air and hold it in as I rapidly tear off the pull-up and shove a wipe in the general direction of the child, my head turned away and eyes shut most of the way to guard the little bit of sane human left within me. After about a minute of blindly waving the wipe around, I slip the pull-up onto his legs and finally open my eyes to help him get his pants on. 

 

Even after tossing the pull-up in a trash can in another room, the bathroom still reeks of numero dos, poop, crap, shit, whatever you wanna call nature's calling. I helped the kid down from the counter, then didn't touch him once after that. Instead, I simply followed behind him as he pulled on his snow pants and ran out the door to join the rest of the herd in the powdery snow.

 

I stand just inside the sliding glass door in the warmth, "supervising" the kids like any good adult would do. Or, at least, pretended to. I soon found myself too preoccupied with the thought of Eren's thoughtful reaction to my job dilemma. 

 

~~~

 

"-and I don't know what to do, Eren!" I slump on the couch and put my head in my hands, my head a whirlwind of thoughts and confusion. the couch sinks slightly as Eren moves to sit next to me, lightly rubbing my back for silent comfort. After a few silent moments of comfort, he decides I need more than a simple backrub and brushes the hair out of my eyes to look directly at me.

 

"Look, Levi, I understand the situation you're going through, it certainly isn't an easy one. I know what I hope you do, but I'm not going to force it on you. And no matter what happens-" Eren leans in and gently presses his lips against mine reassuringly. "-I'll always love you." 

 

I watch Eren's receding back as he returns to the kitchen to resume washing the dishes, his words bouncing around in my head.  _I'll always love you..._

 

~~~~

 

After having worked at the daycare for nearly a month now, I can rightly say that I made the proper choice. I was originally very reluctant, spending that much time with immature brats could drive a man insane. But, all I wanted was to be closer to Eren and even closer yet to Petra whenever possible, and this was the ideal situation.

 

With a happy sigh, I ease myself up from my position against the wall and take a step to turn around.

 

Only to be pulled through the open door and out into the snow without a coat.

 

"Hey hey hey, what do you think you're doing?!" I shout blindly at my attacker, frantically trying to shake them off of my sleeve to return to my warm sanctuary within. However, they cling on tightly and continue to pull me further and further away from my home.

 

Eventually I give in, just letting myself be dragged along into the freezing snow. "You know, if I get frostbite, I'm blaming it on you." The chuckle in return reveals the identity of my attacker: Eren.

 

Thankfully, we come to a stop not long after and Eren lets go of my sleeve to enable me to pull my hands inside my thin sweater in a lame attempt to warm them. "What the hell are we doing way out here?"

 

"I figured we needed to go somewhere more private." Eren's voice is muffled when he turns around and stoops down the nearly ground level.

 

"Why? For what?" Genuinely lost, I look pleadingly to Eren's back in hopes of an answer. However, the answer I receive is not the one I had hoped for.

 

Sputtering, I wipe the snow off of my face and look at Eren dumb-founded. "You did not just do that. Tell me you didn't just do that."

 

"Oh, but I did." Eren smirks gleefully, challenging me to fight back.

 

"It's on." In a blur of motion, I squat down low and quickly roll a snowball up and chuck it at Eren's fine ass while he hurriedly gathers his own snow.

 

"Hey! That's cold!" Eren throws a few snowballs in my direction, most missing but one landing on my shoulder.

 

"How do you think I feel? I don't even have a coat o-" I get cut off quickly by a large mouthful of snow, Eren's laughter overpowering the sound of me spitting out the vile stuff.

 

I don't remember much after that, just a barrage of snowballs flying through the air and one getting in my pants. I must say, that was probably one of the oddest and most uncomfortable things I have ever experienced.

 

Gradually, the two of us had drifted closer for better aim and eventually ended up chest to chest, abandoning the taste of battle for the taste of each other's lips. I can't say I was disappointed, failure has never tasted so good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just more cutesy fluff, next time we'll see them celebrating Christmas throughout the next 5-10 years, that way you can get a good idea of where it ends up.
> 
> OH OH OH! How could I forget, I also very recently got a DeviantArt: sanity-impaired, if anyone would like to check it out. I'm not the best artist but I'll get there, I'm open to feedback and "watching" anyone who checks me out ;D


	22. Christmas With the Jaeger-Ackermans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you get it? Levi and Eren were too stubborn to give up their last name, so they just kept them both XD
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoy this final chapter. Don't worry, though, I'm not going anywhere and you can still look forward to the other surprise! I'll post my final chapter update here when the surprise is posted. After that, I'm going to re-organize the chapters so the story isn't interrupted.

~*~THAT CHRISTMAS~*~

 

"Hey, Levi?" 

 

"Hmm?" I turn the page of my book, only half-listening to Eren. I usually get too absorbed in my book to care too much about what else is going on around me. However, the silence that follows urges me to look up.

 

Eren stands stiffly in the doorway to the living room, Petra standing slightly behind him with a sheepish smile on. He shifts his weight back and forth, his hands behind his back. I set my book down next to me and look up at Eren's face to see a matching sheepish smile directed at me.

 

"What?" I cross my arms and lean back in the couch, allowing myself to sink in slightly.

 

"I-uh, we have something for you." Petra steps up and grabs one of Eren's hands as they move towards me, Eren's other hand remaining hidden behind his back.

 

"You didn't have to get me anything, really, you two are all I need-"

 

"Oh shut it, Levi, and just accept it." Eren shoves a silver-wrapped box in my lap with a large grin stretching across his face. Petra giggles and shifts closer to Eren, gripping his hand tightly in anticipation.

 

I stare at it for a bit, unsure of how to go about this. It's been a long time since I've gotten a real present. Of course, Petra's little hand-made gifts and cards are beautiful, but I usually received them year round and unwrapped. This, in all honesty, is a new experience for me.

 

Finally, I decide to start with the bow at the top. With a delicate touch, I gently untie it and set it off to the side. I ease my finger under the tape on either side of the box, pulling it up in such a way that the wrapping paper remains untorn. I glance up at Eren and Petra, who nod at me reassuringly, before pulling the paper all the way off. 

 

A sleek white box is next, with a silver embossed star in the middle of the lid. I raise my eyebrow and glance at Eren to see that he is too preoccupied to notice my gaze. With a deep breath, I remove the lid and gasp.

 

Inside of the box, laid among silvery paper, is a white cravat. Not only that but a 100% silk cravat. Gingerly, I remove the cravat and hold it up into the light. Something shiny catches my eye, leading me to turn it over and see what is written on the back. In small grey embroidery, a few short words are written.

 

" _Family is forever._ " Something pricks the corners of my eyes and I suddenly find myself in Eren's arms, head buried in his shoulder.

 

Eren leans down and whispers gently in my ear. " _Merry Christmas and a happy birthday, Levi._ "

 

~*~CHRISTMAS, 3 YEARS LATER~*~

 

"Eren, I need your help or these cookies are never getting done! We can't let the kids down, you know." I rapidly whisk the cookie batter in the bowl, urging it towards the right consistency. 

 

"Hey, Levi, I was wondering-"

 

"Not now Eren, I'm busy! And you better come and help me soon or I'm gonna accidentally set the house on fire."

 

"Levi, I think this is rather import-"

 

"Eren, what can be more important than making cookies?! Especially for the kids at the-" I turn around while continuing to mix the batter, but stop when I see Eren.

 

He's down on one knee, grinning like an idiot with flour in his hair and a cupcake apron on, the only serious thing being the small black box in his hand. He waits a moment until he's sure he has my attention, then opens the lid and begins to speak.

 

"Levi, I've been with you for nearly four years and I can honestly say it's been the best four years of my life. You welcomed me into your family and showed me what love really is. I- I- oh, forget this, I had a whole speech prepared but it's already pretty obvious what your answer is going to be, so...Levi Ackerman, will you marry me?"

 

My heart drops in my stomach and I'm left speechless, staring at him with my mouth open and eyes wet with tears. "Yes!!" I throw myself at him and wrap my arms around his neck, squeezing so tightly I nearly choke him. Cookies forgotten, I cover his face with kisses, following every smooch with another "yes". Eren chuckles whole-heartedly, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

 

~*~NEXT CHRISTMAS~*~

 

"You may kiss the groom."

 

Eren launches himself at me and dips me low, capturing my lips in his eagerly. I grip his shoulders tightly to prevent us from toppling over, grinning cheekily when he stands us back up. He grips my hand tightly in his and holds it above our heads.

 

"Looks like I'm a winner!" With that, Eren drags me down the aisle shaking with laughter, glancing back at me with an elated glimmer in his eyes. "I love you, Levi."

 

"Love you-"

 

~*~CHRISTMAS, 5 YEARS LATER~*~

 

"-too, Eren." I hang up the phone with a sigh and look out the window at the beautiful Paris skyline. Keeping my eyes on the Eiffel Tower, I set the phone on the bed and slide open the balcony doors to step out into the cool, refreshing night. I know I wouldn't have been able to afford the room myself, but my father bought it for me to tempt me into finally meeting him again. With every passing minute, I regret letting Eren talk me into it, because with every passing minute my heart aches more for him. As they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder. I step up to the railing and place both of my hands on the cold metal to bring me back to my senses.  _I wish you were here, Eren. It's beautiful, you know, just like you..._

 

 _~*~_ JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS, 5 YEARS LATER~*~

 

"Oh, Petra, call if you need anything! We love you, honey!!" I wave wildly and watch as Petra turns around and waves back before pulling away, the U-Haul trucks in tow. Eren pulls me into his arms and rubs my shoulder comfortingly. "She'll be back for next Christmas, right?"

 

"Of course, Levi, of course." Eren kisses the top of my head and grabs my hand to gently pull me back inside to prepare for tonight's New Year's Eve party.

 

~*~LAST CHRISTMAS~*~

 

"-and Petra's wedding, wasn't that beautiful?"

 

"It was even better than ours! She's lucky we were there to help her organize it."

 

"Yeah...how do you think they're doing with the daycare? They better not be doing anything illegal. I swear, if they-"

 

"Levi, take it easy, you know they wouldn't do anything bad. After all, she is the most trustworthy person we know." Eren gently strokes the back of my had, smiling softly.

 

"Yeah, yeah." We sit in silence for a bit, looking out at the beautiful farmland before us under a blanket of white.

 

"Hey, Levi?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Merry Christmas, and happy birthday."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. I was trying to figure out a way to make it sad but happy at the same time and I ended up being a big bundle of confusing emotions.
> 
> "The Last Christmas" refers to the last Christmas they have together, and it's not because of a divorce. I couldn't figure out a way to end it with the description of the end without being super sad so I just left it there.
> 
> The reason why every time skip happened at Christmas was because it was always the most important and best time of year for them. It was roughly the time they met (although they didn't really realize it), Levi's birthday, when Eren met the rest of the family, and the most together the were all year. 
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. Just so you know, I spent a few hours looking up proposals and crying over how sappy they were and imagining Eren and Levi...ugh, my fragile heart. If anyone is looking for a sappy Christmas love movie, I recommend 12 Dates of Christmas.
> 
>  
> 
> P.P.S. This was a little late posting because my internet browser was glitching last night and I ended up needing to reboot it to be able to post.


	23. (Not A Chapter, Must Read Update)

I got dragged on another vacation, except this time it was entirely unexpected. I was only told late last night. I would try to update, being that I have good wifi this time, however this vacation is with my grandparents and there is not a chance that they will give me time to update. (My parents are big history buffs and will be dragging us everywhere, plus they aren't really for electronics). Anyways, sorry to miss this update (and next Wednesday's) but I will surely have them after that, no more vacations here!! (...hopefully) in the meantime, if you haven't yet, go check out my other fanfictions to keep you busy (yes, shameless self-advertising, watcha gonna do about it? ;P). Enjoy your week...I guess?? Until next Saturday (FYI, there /might/ be a nice treat with the update, not too sure yet but who knows ;D) Later!!


	24. Please Read! (Not New Chapter)

Hey guys! I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday and I'm sorry to say I'm not updating today either (well...not a chapter update). I'm pretty sick and because of that I've been consistently exhausted. When I'm exhausted, scary things happen to my writing. I didn't want to post a bad update that may ruin the story so I'm going to postpone it until I feel better, I will most likely be able to make Wednesday but I'm not sure. Stick with me on this, though, I won't let you down!! Thanks for being here in the first place, until next time!


	25. Second Kinda-Not-Really Update (With New AU)

Hey guys! I'm not quite ready to update the chapter yet (so sorry). I feel bad for leaving you hanging with nothing to read so I have a little AU idea for you guys. It doesn't relate to this story at all (because it would be a dead give away of things to come if it did). If anyone ends up writing this, I promise you I will read it from start to finish and love you for forever and ever! I also have this one published in one of my other works but I just love it so much I wanted to share it with everyone.

 

In order to get a good feel for this (and also to see my FAVORITE dance of all time and let me infect you with it) follow the links to see the videos! The choreographer's name is Koharu Sugwara, she's the one in the middle and the one you should watch. Here's the link for "Elastic Heart":( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vPdiqOFWs8 ) The second song, also with Koharu Sugawara, is "Say My Name", here's that link:( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTNiwXqkWbw ) I really insist you watch them, they are REALLY good. If you can't use the link, go on YouTube and search the song name and Koharu Sugawara, it should come up. If you can, watch "Elastic Heart" now and "Say My Name" at the start of the third paragraph. I know, a lot of work, but I seriously mean that it's worth it.

 

 Imagine: Levi is a world-renowned choreographer that absolutely EVERYONE envies. Eren is a self-taught dancer that dreams of dancing well one day but has never heard of Levi before. One day he's walking down a hallway to try and apply as a dance teacher at this particular school. As he's walking past a closed door with a window, he hears "Elastic Heart" playing loudly and he stops to look in. Inside is Levi practicing alone, every move absolutely flawless. Without even realizing it, Eren pushes the door open and steps inside the studio. The music is so loud and Levi is so far into his dance that he doesn't notice Eren come in. After watching for a bit, Eren quickly picks it up and jumps in behind him. He follows the moves almost perfectly; it would appear perfect to almost anybody but Levi. Levi notices halfway through in the mirror but lets him dance anyway. Gradually he increases the intensity and challenges Eren to step up his game and he quickly and easily responds. By the end they are both sweaty and exhausted. Levi asks who Eren is and he introduces himself, not realizing how famous Levi is. They have a casual conversation before Eren realizes that he is late for his interview and must leave.

 

A week later Eren finds Levi again, this time teaching a class the same "Elastic Heart" dance. Eren watches on with a dazed smile outside of the door but Levi sees him and waves him in. He ends up asking him to help teach the class and he obliges, doing it almost as well as Levi. Another week later, after Eren had really made an impression on Levi, Levi catches Eren practicing the "Elastic Heart" dance alone in his regular studio. This time he is better and more emotional with it. Levi is absolutely drawn in by the dance and is left with his mouth hanging open. Eren sees that Levi is at the door and immediately becomes flustered as he goes to open the door. They talk for a bit, Levi telling Eren how he was getting better (since he is too good to admit perfection). Before Eren leaves, Levi asks for his phone number.

 

It's a while before they finally get around to a first date, but when they do Eren is stuck teaching a class. Levi doesn't mind and instead watches from the back of the studio. At the end, after the class had left and Eren is changing into his regular clothes, Levi puts his earbuds on and begins dancing to a different song. Eren comes out without his shirt on, realizing that he left it in his bag, and is captivated by Levi. He immediately jumps in on the dance and Levi softly sings it out loud to let Eren hear the tune of the song. He recognizes it as "Say My Name", a song that he had already personally choreographed. He begins to do his own choreography and Levi stops to watch Eren as really gets into it. He had already taken the earbuds out so both of them could hear it. By the end, both of them are dancing together, anticipating each other's moves. When they finish, both sweaty and panting, Levi only then realizes that Eren doesn't have a shirt on and he checks him out slyly. Eren doesn't notice as he goes to get his shirt. Before he can pull it on, Levi grabs him by the back of his neck and pulls him in for a long awaited kiss. By the end of the month they are the most envied couple of the studio and Eren still doesn't know that Levi is famous. He finds out on their honeymoon when they get swarmed by reporters and Levi is forced to confess. Eren is stunned into silence for a few minutes before he suddenly attacks Levi to the ground, tickling him in all of his ticklish spots. He keeps tickling Levi until he apologizes for not telling him, then they have some fun ;)

 

 

 

I realize after reading through this how jumbled it is and the grammar is absolutely terrible...I guess point proven that I shouldn't write the next chapter yet XD Oh well, it's the thought that counts! Let me know what you guys think in the comments, it's unlikely I'll be writing it myself but I would definitely love one of you to accept the challenge! Until Saturday, my friends ;D


	26. Ugh...Sorry It's Not An Update

   Hey guys! I am  _soooo_ sorry but I'm not gonna be able to update today, it's been an insanely stressful day and I can't seem to ease my frustrations. I don't want any negativity to come out in my writing so I'll be sustaining from updating until I have reached a point where I can be in a positive state of mind. I will try to keep you updated on the regular update days and maybe provide a few AUs if you're lucky, but regular updates may not be out for another week or so. Once again, I am extremely sorry but I guess you can call it tough love; it's for the greater good. Until next time


	27. (Update Kinda)

Sorry to say there's no update today (...it looks like I'm a poet and I don't know it) But I'm aiming for an update sometime within the next week or so. To make up for the missed time, whenever I do have something written I'll post it, even if it's not on the regular update days. I will continue to update on the regular update days, chapters or not. I have a few oneshots saved but they're seasonal and I would rather save them for the right time of year. 

 

As I was writing this I came up with an AU idea, so why not give it a shot...(and it's also Halloween related, ;D)

 

Imagine: Levi and Eren are both horror movie fanatics who regularly attend horror movie screenings and are well versed in the realm of terror. They both attend a really big horror movie film fest known around the country and it is absolutely packed, shoulder to shoulder. They both attended alone, as per usual, being that Armin is too scared for Eren's horror and Hanji is typically busy at a some sort of science convention. By chance, they end up in seats beside each other and try their best to keep to themselves with their arms tucked in and eyes forward. Gradually, throughout the screenings of the movies, they both relax and ease their tense positions. Eventually they grow oblivious to the people around them, including each other, as they are soaked up in the story. A sudden jump-scare startles the both of them and they instantly latch onto each other. It's a few minutes before they untangle themselves, the scare over and their consciousness returning. They avoid eye contact and shift away from each other to try to avoid the awkwardness. The night continues and more and more jump scares continue to appear and at each one they immediately grab for each other. It reaches the point where Levi grabs onto Eren's arm and Eren buries his head in Levi's shoulder without caring about who the other is or their story; they both desperately want some kind of comfort and shelter from the sheer horror unfolding on the screen. Of course, they came for the horror, but that doesn't mean either of them are immune. As the last movie comes to an end, Eren and Levi remain in their seats as everyone rises around them. Levi is practically on Eren's lap, the two of them holding hands and Levi's head hidden in the bend of Eren's neck. No words are exchanged at any point, but they reach a mutual agreement to do this more often.

 

It's pretty vague, considering I pretty much just came up with it and figured it out as I went along.

 

I'm thinking from now until Halloween I might come up with Halloween AU'S (since those are easier to write than chapter updates). Everything should be calming down by that point so I can pick the story up again after the holiday. Maybe I should make a separate work for that and do a countdown to Halloween? I could update there while giving non-story-updates to this fanfic during that time. I don't know, let me know what you think in the comments!

 

P.S. When this fanfic is finally finished (notice I said when), all of these updates will be moved to the back so it will be a smoother read. For now, though, I want to leave them where they are so the delays and such can make sense.

 

Until next time! TOO-DA-LOO! :D

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You better comment and let me know what you think. Yeah, that's right, I'm talking to you! I'm watching you 0.0
> 
> (;D)


	28. (Halloween Update)

Long time no see, guys! I'm really sorry about that, a lot went down in the past few weeks and I don't think I'll be updating this fanfic quite yet. However, I will be starting a Halloween AU headcanon fanfic with little drabbles. I don't plan on them being very long, probably around 500 words, but it will hopefully keep you guys entertained enough. Starting today I'll be having a ten-day countdown until Halloween, ending with a special mini-fic on Halloween. 

Anyways, that's all for this update. See you next time!


	29. (Halloween Fanfic/Update)

After Halloween I should be returning to continue writing this fanfic. Until then I have a Halloween countdown going (look up "Ereri Halloween Countdown") if you guys would like to go check that out. It really means a lot to me to know that you guys are still here to wait this out with me. Hopefully this Halloween countdown will warm me up enough to get this one back with a bang! Until next time :D


	30. (2nd to Last Not-Update-Update!)

Hey guys! I'm excited to say that this is the 2nd to last "update" before we can finally return to the real story. I'm sorry about my absence in the story but once we pick up we should be able to ride it through all the way to the end. It really means a lot that you guys stuck around *wipes away tear*

 

If you're looking for something to read in the meantime, check out my other "Ereri Halloween Countdown" fanfic/AU thingy. 3 days to Halloween!

 

Out of curiosity, what are you guys going to be dressed up as? Let me know in the comments, please! I'm genuinely curious :D (I'm going as Ash Ketchum, obviously from Pokemon *dramatic hair flip*)


	31. (Halloween AU Fanfic/2nd-to-Last-Not -Update)

Good news! This is the last not-update update!

 

I posted the full version of the horror movie AU idea in another work, here's the link if you don't mind checking it out (I know some of you really wanted to have a full version of that)

 http://archiveofourown.org/works/5048566/chapters/11779097

 

Until Wednesday! 

 

 

 

 

 

Hint: The next update will involve animals...;D


	32. (I Know, Right? Another One of These Updates)

I know you're probably rolling your eyes and thinking "oh, we're back to this again, aren't we? *sigh*"

Well this non-update-update isn't happening because of a faulty inbox. As I said in the previous update, I required a song to write the next chapter. I genuinely meant that, as I had no idea what song to use and I wanted to involve my readers. 

With sincere apologies, I didn't see IAmNotCapableOfInventingACleverUsername's response to my request until now: at which point is too late to write today's update. 

I am placing no blame on anybody, so don't fret that something negative is taking place. The only one at fault is my inbox, and there is not a direct way to ensure it's reliably in working condition. 

The next update is definitely coming Saturday, so at least you can look forward to fluff!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S.- if anybody's wondering, the audition went really well and callbacks are tomorrow, I'm feeling rather confident about it! ^-^


	33. (Sorry About This)

I'm really sorry that we're back to this again, I don't like it any less than you do. However, right now I'm going through a pretty rough time. Very recently someone close to me passed away and I need to take some time to recover, so no updates this week. I should be back by next Wednesday with a nice Christmas-y resolving chapter to end the job tension, so until then go ahead and get ready and enjoy whatever holiday you're celebrating! You most likely already spend plenty of time on here, so why not spend some time with your family in preparation for the busiest time of the year? 

Thank you in advance for (hopefully) understanding, until next time.


	34. New Fanfic Posted!

Here we are, officially the last update on this fanfic. I hope you guys had a good time!  


Now if you're looking for something else to read that is full of fluff, confusion, Levi, and snow, I have the thing for you! I know it's a bit late, but I made up for it in length: 9,300+ words. It's based off the 12 Dates of Christmas from ABC Family, if that rings a bell. It's also Ereri, as most things I write are, with a happy ending! Here it is:

 

"[10 Dates of Christmas](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5523287)"

 

I've also re-ordered the chapters so all of the updates are at the end and the story flows. 


End file.
